Sklavenheim
by Yagton
Summary: Edward Elric, a new Nazi, is put into the sinister Officer Neid's Sklavenheim, which is a world completely different from the one Ed's used to. How many ways will his life have to change now? What about a life-changing mission? AU, one-sided Edvy, R/R plz
1. Neid

AN: Yes, this is still FMA, even though it takes place in Germany. And I apologize for all the German words and phrases ^_^;;; It's just the characters' dialogue, and if you need help translating, there are translators online, or you can send me a message.

I also want to make it VERY CLEAR that this story was not intending to insult or offend anyone. Yes, there are extremely derogatory German terms in this story, but remember that it takes place during World War II, and the things said were very common. It is just characterization.

* * *

I guess you could say I was prepared, yet wholly unprepared, for the day our platoon went on what was supposed to be a routine scouting mission to Freiburg. Did I have my Karabiner planted vertically in my white-gloved right hand?

Yes.

Was I wearing my uniform, a twisting mixture of ebony and satin black with the Swastika sewn into the left sleeve?

Yes.

Did I expect anything out of the ordinary on our mission to such a small, insignificant town that was either too afraid to stand up or sick with loyalty for the Fuhrer?

No.

Was the thing I got unexpected?

Definitely.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. In order to understand what happened in Freiburg, and the events that unfolded because of that mission, I think it would be wise to start with the beginning of the tale.

* * *

To be quite frank, I think things really began when I joined the Nationalsozialisten at the tender age of sixteen. I was well aware that, while the Fuhrer encouraged all Germans (like myself) to enlist, it was illegal for one to do so while under the age of eighteen. I was still supposed to be in school, but what good would an education be if all I wanted was to point a rifle at a Scheiss-Ami or a crowd of Stückes?

There hadn't been one question asked of me when I enlisted. I was merely handed a gun and a man with a stern, muscular face and a full black moustache had nodded my way. He had muttered three words to me: "Endlösung der Judenfrage," and left it at that. Under my breath, I repeated the phrase – I would've been very proud to say it louder, but I didn't feel like I deserved to. It was something that the Fuhrer himself had said, and repeating those things when you weren't of similar social stature was treading in dangerous water.

Later that same week, I had been assigned to the 14th Infantry Corps, and had been introduced to the Wehrkreis commander. Fortunately, he had a soft, creamy white-skinned face, and at the time, I thought he might be a relatively nice man.

The delusions of a young, impressionable mind can be, at certain times, extreme. I immediately, unwittingly, trusted this man standing in front me. And I had yet to learn of the monster behind the mask.

"Ein neuer Soldat bekomme ich Umdrehungen heraus, um ein Kind zu sein? Welches Glück…" He rubbed his forehead and adjusted the brim of his militant's cap. His oddly-colored purple eyes went from my face to the wall, then quickly glanced down at me again. A ripple of displeasure swam across his lips, momentarily revealing the abnormally large canine teeth he sported.

With the flick of his left hand, he flipped the long, sharp spikes of evergreen hair off of his shoulder, so that his merit badges could clearly be seen. He adjusted his uniform before returning his attention to me.

"Your name is Elric, is it…?" His voice was smooth, almost velveteen. His feet broke their perfect stance as he hunched over; a wicked smile was on his face. "Sind nicht Sie ein bisschen kurz, um achtzehn zu sein?" he jested.

I felt my face flush a bright crimson. To be sure, it was embarrassing to be joked at like that after having known this man only a few minutes. But it wasn't only that – my cheeks went red with a small bit of pride. This man obviously heralded respect, from the looks of the many badges pinned to his chest. And he was talking to me like we were…equal. Some part of that was impossible to ignore.

"No matter," the man went on. "Height doesn't matter when one is caressing lead into a Stücke or two. All that matters is that you fulfill the order of the Fuhrer." He glanced to the small bit of notepaper he held in his right hand. With a roll of his eyes, he let the paper float to the floor.

He extended a hand my way. "My full name is of no concern to you, and when others are around, you will address me as only 'Sir.' But, if you wish, when high-ranking officials aren't present, you may call me Neid." And I was left staring at his hand, wondering what I should do. I was unfathomably uncomfortable.

"Nehmen Sie es," he insisted, a half-caring, conceited smile on that face of his.

Nervously, I reached out and took Neid's hand, and he shook mine vigorously; I was more like a fish out of water than a soldier, as my body flopped when the shake was administered.

As Neid's fingers left my hand, I dared not look him in the eye. What could he possibly think of me after such a blatant display of weakness? I felt one of my eyes getting a tad bit wet.

"Edo?"

My mind forced me to look up – not a trace of disdain was on Neid's features. In fact, he appeared more…what kind of word could describe his expression? Perhaps relieved…satisfied…? I squeaked a response – I was sure it hadn't even been a word.

Now Neid's nose wrinkled a tiny bit. "If you please, Edo, I would prefer if you addressed me in a more dignified manner. Ich mache die Reaktion Mäusen eine Gewohnheit nicht." His new joke warranted a small chuckle from my mouth, but I stayed silent.

Some few minutes later, I finally replied, "Yes, sir."

Neid's expression softened. "That's better." He took a step forward and his gloved hand grasped mine. I was shocked at how open he had been in doing so. My neck craned to look into his eyes, the color of summer orchids.

"S-Sir…?"

"You look a bit tired," he pointed out. "Perhaps you'd allow me to escort you to the Sklavenheim?"

For a moment, I was positive I'd misheard him. "S-Sir…?"

"Ja?"

"Y-you said 'Sklavenheim,' right?"

"Ja."

"Don't you mean something like baracken?"

Neid softly giggled. "No, I said what I wanted to say. Now please, follow me along to the Sklavenheim." He tugged my body forward, and I spent much of the trip wondering what exactly he meant.

* * *

Translations:

"Nationalsozialisten" - German term for a Nazi

"Scheiss-Ami" - Offensive, derogatory German slur for an American

"Stücke" - Extremely offensive, derogatory German slur for a Jew

"Endlösung der Judenfrage" - Ideology of Hitler's 'final solution'

"Wehrkreis" - basically a German term for a platoon of soldiers

"Ein neuer Soldat bekomme ich Umdrehungen heraus, um ein Kind zu sein? Welches Glück..." - "The one new soldier I get turns out to be a kid? What luck..."

"Sind nicht Sie ein bisschen kurz, um achtzehn zu sein?" - "Aren't you a little short to be eighteen?"

"Neid" - Envy

"Nehmen Sie es" - Take it

"Ich mache die Reaktion Mäusen eine Gewohnheit nicht." - "I don't make a habit of responding to mouse calls."

"Sklavenheim" - slave house

"Baracken" - barracks


	2. The Sklavenheim

I was still wondering what Neid meant by 'Sklavenheim' when he abruptly stopped. Had my reaction time not been as good, I would've run right into him without even realizing it. Nothing could be more embarrassing.

The man's finger slipped from my hand, but the fabric of the glove delicately brushed the skin of my palm as it relinquished touch. Whether my cheeks went red for the second time in such a short span of time or not, I'll never know. All I know is that Neid's smiling face was both reassuring and uncomfortable.

Desperate to avoid my superior's gaze, I turned my head to the door we'd stopped in front of. It was very ordinary, carved out of an almost purely an alabaster-colored wood; part of me felt that it must be very lonely to be the lone door in the long corridor.

Upon further inspection, I noticed that a small sign had been nailed into the door. It read in bold black letter, 'Sklavenheim.' Below the sign, someone had lovingly carved 'Heil Hitler' into the door.

"Herzlich willkommen in Ihr neues Haus," Neid said with a smirk and a jitter in his voice. He shook the long green hair away from his figure, spectacularly shaped even under the bulky uniform, and extended his right hand to the doorknob, which was glimmering a faint onyx. Slowly, the knob turned, and the door slid slightly ajar with a creak that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Slowly, unsure of what to expect, I entered, but only after a gesture from Neid. My feet inched closer and closer, and my stomach began to turn upside down. Afraid that I might throw up in front of my commanding officer, I hurried myself inside.

"I'll retrieve you for a briefing in a few hours' time. Make yourself comfortable in your new quarters." Neid waved at me before he slowly closed the door, leaving me inside without a notion of what I was supposed to do.

No one else seemed to be in the Sklavenheim. I crept forward, examining the rather plain room. It held, on one side, nothing but bare floor and peeling white wallpaper. There was a stain on the old wooden floor paneling, but I had no idea what made it – evidently, the spill had occurred a while back, as there was only a faint white tint to it. I was at a loss for what it could be.

"Also, Sie sind das frische Fleisch des Kommandanten wie?"

The voice was so sudden that I might've visibly jumped out of my skin. Whirling around, I searched for whoever was talking. "Wh-who's there…?" I asked, hoping I wasn't losing my mind.

"Over here."

My eyes finally set themselves on the opposite side of the room (which was quite large), where I noticed someone lying beneath a layer of thin sheets on a small bed. Apprehensively, I moved a few feet from where my feet had planted themselves in my fear. Now I could get a better look at who was talking.

It was a boy, who had to be younger than I was, with a long mop of dark black and green hair. His eyes, which were purple like Neid's, had a tired, yet mischievous, glow to them. Slowly, he rolled off the cot and got to his feet, yawning and stretching. His body was lean and lanky, with a pair of regulation issue military pants and a torn white shirt the only things covering his body. I noticed his arms were a bit spindly for being in the Nationalsozialisten.

The boy came over to me and began to circle me – I didn't quite know what he was doing, but I reasoned out that he was sizing me up. Would I be military material or not?

When he finally stopped, the boy grinned. "I can see why he wants you," was the only thing he said. A few laughs in reply came from the cots, from mouths I couldn't see.

"Who are you…?" I asked, beginning to go on the defensive.

And then, miraculously, the boy's sharp and playful face softened into one of friendliness and compassion. "Schauen Sie brr! auf Sie. Sie wanken wie ein Blatt." Only after he said this did I realize my entire body was quaking. The boy extended a hand towards me. "Come on," he continued. "Some more layers will heat you right back up."

I cautiously took his hand and he led me over to the beds. He beckoned me to sit down, and as I complied, he reached into the cot above his. He brought down a few thin, almost wiry blankets and wrapped them around me. And though they didn't look the part, they made me feel warmer.

The boy sat down beside me and he smiled. "I'm Zorn," he said.

And his attitude had become inviting. Though unsure of what I was doing, and why I was doing it, I took his hand and lightly shook it. "I'm Edward," I replied. "Edward Elric."

"Welcher schöner Name," he replied, causing my cheeks to stir and resonate with a shade of light scarlet.

"Hey, everyone, come on down and meet the commander's latest catch!"

I heard shuffling, and before I knew it, three other people stood in front of me. My eyes blinked in rapid succession a few times before I could register what it was I saw. There was one other boy and two girls.

The boy nodded to me, his short brown hair not even reaching halfway down his neck. The bangs were pulled two different directions. This boy still wore his military uniform. "Alphonse," he said. "Alphonse Heidrich."

The first girl had short-cropped black hair that almost fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were a sparkling blue and she smiled at me. Bending into a curtsy, she said, "My name is Lyra."

I looked to the second girl, who bore freckles across her nose. Her blazing orange hair was tied back into two separate ponytails. She seemed not to much care about appearances, as she wore nothing but rags. She shook her hair out of her brown eyes as she came forward to me – her grin was playful yet sinister. "The name's Nina," she told me. She patted me on the head. "I run this place, and don't you forget it.

"Sie antworten auf mich, und ich werde nicht den Kommandanten zu rau sein lassen." Everyone in the room got a few cheap chuckles from this, but I had no clue what Nina meant. Too rough…? What on earth was she talking about…?

As everyone went back to their beds, Zorn turned to me. "She's just exaggerating. Neid's actually quite nice."

"Schließen Sie es, Sie sonderbarer Bengel. Sie gerade wie die Art, wie er Sie berührt, sind alles," Nina retorted in a stern yet sisterly tone.

Now I began to wonder what really was going on, and what the Sklavenheim was all about.

Unfortunately, I didn't have long to contemplate. Just as my head started to wrap itself around what everyone had said, the door opened with that same gut-wrenching squeak. In came Neid, looking positively blissful.

I turned to Zorn for no reason in particular, but he seemed much more intent on feigning sleep.

"Ed…" Neid came up to me and offered me his hand. "It's time for your briefing."

Unsure of what else I could do, I took his hand and he led me away from the Sklavenheim. Before we exited, I stole one last glance back. Nina was standing there, near the room's center, a forlorn expression of woe on her face. She started to mouth something to me.

But whatever she attempted to communicate to me was blocked off by the closing of the Sklavenheim's door.

* * *

Translations:

"Herzlich willkommen in Ihr neues Haus" - "Welcome to your new home"

"Also, Sie sind das frische Fleisch des Kommandanten wie?" - "So, you're the commander's fresh meat?"

"Schauen Sie brr! auf Sie. Sie wanken wie ein Blatt" - "Wow, look at you! You're shaking like a leaf"

"Zorn" - Wrath

"Welcher schöner Name" - "What a beautiful name"

"Sie antworten auf mich, und ich werde nicht den Kommandanten zu rau sein lassen" - "You answer to me, and I won't let the commander be too rough."

"Schließen Sie es, Sie sonderbarer Bengel. Sie gerade wie die Art, wie er Sie berührt, sind alles" - "Shut it, you queer brat. You just like the way he touches you."


	3. Purpose

There were a few odd stares directed my way as I was pulled along down the twisting hallways by Neid. Most were glares of surprise, some smirks of superiority, and others with eyes wrinkled in confusion. I could assume it wasn't every day that someone saw an officer dragging a recruit along in some sort of fervent rush.

My commanding officer was hurrying along as best he could without looking foolish. He merely grunted at passersby who acknowledged him, saying that he had 'places to go. Now.' With every person that talked to him, Neid's death grip on my wrist tightened more and more, and after a bit I swore that my entire hand was going to fall off. It even began turning purple – Neid was apparently unaware of the power he had.

I might've protested against his talon, but it was my first day near him. Perhaps he just gave bad first impressions. That, and I really didn't want to get too many people against me – I rather liked having allies.

The minutes seemed to tick by faster and faster, and I wondered how long it was going to take to get to…wherever he was taking me. But when we finally arrived, I noticed by way of the grandfather clock that only around ten minutes had passed. My nerves were really getting to me…

Neid's office was a direct contrast to the man that called it his own. The walls were all a drab white, with nothing adorning them – not even a scratch. The grandfather clock I saw was sitting on the wall opposite the door. By it was a small stool with a pot of flowers on it. Other than those, and the desk and chairs that sat in the middle of the room, the office was empty.

Letting go of my hand, Neid traveled to the chair behind the desk. Lowering himself onto the seat, he said, "Haben Sie einen Sitz." And, after taking a short, deep breath, I did as I was told – I sat down, straightening my back and desperately not trying to give into the temptation to slouch.

Officer Neid folded his hands together on top of the desk's cherry finish. His purple eyes seemed to leer at my own golden ones, but his glare wasn't so much full of hatred as it was full of anxiety. I could even see his fingers, though so neatly meshed together, twitching. "By now, you're probably wondering what exactly the Sklavenheim is."

I gulped. "…Erlaubnis, frei, Herr zu sprechen?"

"Natürlich."

And then my tongue was tied in a knot. Although he had given me permission to speak my mind, I still found it hard to talk to him as an equal. He was so much more powerful and majestic than I could ever hope to be; and I wanted to argue with him.

Neid could apparently see the indecision written all over my face. "Weitergehen…" he coaxed.

Finally, the words found their way out of my mouth. "Part of me is wondering whether or not your mind is still intact."

My commanding officer threw his head back, roaring with gleeful laughter. He slapped his leg a few times before calming down – his face was red and small tears were escaping from the corners of his eyes. "Now…why would you think that?"

A shiver ran up my spine. He was obviously amused, but that didn't make him any less intimidating. I hated to object to his judgment, but I was wholly confused. "Maybe Nina and Alphonse are soldiers, but Lyra and Zorn aren't. They could probably barely hold a gun without shaking."

And then Neid began to clap. A knowing smile adorned his lips. "Very perceptive," he told me. "Although you shouldn't let appearances deceive you – little Zorn is very capable of shooting a rifle. But you are right about Lyra."

"Then why make them soldiers?" The words had slipped out of my mouth.

Before I knew what was happening, Neid had leaned over the desk; I could feel his breath upon my neck. His smile was wide and toothy. "Ich hoffte, dass Sie mich das fragen würden." Slowly, he went back to his own chair, but not before taking in a huge whiff of…something. I didn't know what he could be smelling, unless his nose was so sensitive that it caught the scent of the flowers. Neid shook green hair out of his eyes.

"The Sklavenheim is as it sounds – it is a slave house. But you've been racking your mind about what _kind _of slave it houses. Is it for a work camp? No, only Alphonse would be powerful enough. Besides, there aren't enough people.

"Is it for the food crew? No, there isn't a single pot or pan in the Sklavenheim's vicinity.

"Reconnaissance and espionage? Nope. There isn't any tracking equipment in there, either."

"So…" A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead. "What kind of slave does it house?"

Chuckling, Neid leaned forward once again. "Think, Ed. You've considered every possibility but the _obvious _one. It's staring you right in the face. If it's not for working, or cooking, or cleaning, or assault, then what is it for? What purpose could the Sklavenheim _possibly _serve? Was, oh was konnte es sein?" He got to his feet and strolled around to the side of the desk I sat at.

My brain was in overdrive. Why did he have to be so cryptic? I had considered everything, and he'd shot each one down in a single breath. So what else was there…?

Neid was right beside me before I even knew it. His right hand rested upon my shoulder. "Think harder – it's so blatant."

No, it wasn't. What he meant was beyond me.

And then my commanding officer's head was right by mine. My eyes strayed to see his – his purple eyes were sparkling and full of barely-contained ferocity. Slowly, he lent into my ear, saying, "Haben Sie es noch, prächtig ausgerechnet?"

My eyes widened and the air sprinted from my lungs. I slowly turned to him, just in time to be thrown savagely against the desk. I landed with a thud, making all the papers fly off of it, in every direction. But all I could see was Neid above me, his hands clutching my wrists and pushing them down into the wood. His smirk was full of lust.

Officer Neid's head came down onto mine. He bit my neck and proceeded to roughly lick the new wound and its freshly spilt blood. A low growl of satisfaction emitted from his throat.

Bringing himself up, he took a moment to stare at me. Then he came down once again, this time shoving his lips onto my own. My eyes, at this point, were almost bulging out of my skull. I fought against his tongue, but it was too powerful – soon my mouth grew weary of resistance, and it involuntarily let him assume total control. His mouth was pushing itself as far as it could go, his tongue mimicking the action; I felt the slimy tip further back than my own had ever explored.

When he finally released my mouth, I was panting and sweating. I didn't need to look to know that my hair was an absolute mess.

Neid licked his lips. "The Sklavenheim is my pleasure house."

* * *

Translations:

"Haben Sie einen Sitz" - "Have a seat"

"Erlaubnis, frei, Herr zu sprechen?" - "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Natürlich" - "Of course"

"Weitergehen" - "Go on"

"Ich hoffte, dass Sie mich das fragen würden" - "I was hoping that you'd ask me that."

"Was, oh was konnte es sein?" - "What, oh what, could it be?"

"Haben Sie es noch, prächtig ausgerechnet?" - "Have you figured it out yet, gorgeous?"


	4. The Bargain

I could feel the desk living imprints on the backs of my hands. If Officer Neid didn't stop forcing me down, I would eventually either break the thing apart or fuse with it. But my mind was quickly thrown to other matters.

"…Pleasure house…?"

Neid's smile was like poison. "I was wondering how long it would take before you figured it out," he said. "But I couldn't stand the wait, so I had to spill the beans. Ich kann nicht Ihnen absolut widerstehen." His devious smile was, a few moments later, once again pressing down on my face.

Naturally, I did everything I could to resist him. I clamped my lips shut just as he came down upon them. He tried desperately to gain entry, but I knew I couldn't yield. But his tongue enticed my bottom lip to part, and he was once again inside me. The slime on his tongue was coating the inside of my cheeks, causing me to gag; Neid persisted. With a maniacal joy, he continued, completely aware that I couldn't breathe but happily doing nothing about it.

My chest was burning, and it felt like my lungs were about to explode. In a last ditch effort to live, I screamed into my commanding officer's mouth. And, looking stunned by my actions, he stumbled back, giving my face the freedom to breathe. Never before had I appreciated air so much.

"…You surprised me." Lifting my head up off the desk, I saw Neid clapping politely, the fingers on his left hand only touching the palm of his right. "Ich bin nicht häufig überrascht." His purple eyes had lost some of their animalism – I was more confident that he could think coherently now.

But, as if fate was toying with me, Neid placed two fingers upon my forehead. The heat radiating from his skin was burning me; if I cried out in pain, he either didn't notice or didn't care. He merely stared at me, smiling wickedly; his dogteeth glowed a faint shade of yellow. Not frequently did I get the urge to throw up my entire stomach, but I was having one of those moments.

"Ich habe einen Vorschlag für Sie," he told me.

I shook my head in immediate aversion – no part of me wanted to having anything to do with his plans, whatever they were. But my body wouldn't obey me and get to its feet. The absolute fear of what Neid could do was shackling me to the desk.

Neid pouted in the fakest way I'd ever seen. "Come on, don't be such a spoilsport," he said with a laugh. "You haven't even heard my offer yet. And trust me; you won't be able to refuse it." There was something menacing about the way he said it that caused my heart to sprint.

"Listen to what I have to say." My head began wriggling from side to side; I didn't want to listen to him. I didn't want anything to do with him. All I wanted was to get out of there. "Hey. Listen." The two fingers of his left my forehead and instead cupped around my mouth. He pushed into my skin, causing my lips to puff out.

"The Sklavenheim is where I please myself in any way I want – I have both males and females to suit whatever my taste is that day. It's an amazing feeling, so devilishly addicting…But, of course, the practice is very frowned upon by my colleagues."

"How many of them know?"

Neid laughed. "Niemand – I can't allow them to. If I did, it'd be my head."

Maybe I'd found an edge. "You won't get away with this," I told him, nearly spitting in his face; he didn't falter. In fact, his grin grew wider.

"You'd be surprised what things people will forget with a little…intervention." The left shoulder twitched – I followed it down and saw Neid's other hand. His fingers were almost caressing the handle of his…pistol…I gulped; it took all my strength to swallow.

"I want all of you – Ihr unglaublich süßer Körper ist zweifellos köstlich. But I can't have you blabbing on me to the first person you see." I could tell that he was getting to the good part now. His eyes deviated from their human element, retaking their ferociousness in a single moment.

Neid's fingers were almost having a spasm attack down by his gun – it was as if the animal desire to kill was overtaking his conscience.

He fell out of his stupefied state in the blink of an eye and continued talking to me. "If you give yourself to me and promise not to sell me out, then good things will happen to you. Think about it – promotions, prestige, weaponry, technology…They can all be yours. Everyone in the Sklavenheim gets the same deal. Ask them, they'll tell you how good of an offer it is.

"Also, sind Sie dabei, es zu nehmen, oder nicht?"

Sweat was coming down my face. Neid had killed people in order to conceal his secret…if I refused, then he would surely do the same to me. I felt faint. The man standing before me was a complete psychopath, ein klassischer Wahnsinniger, and he was willing to pay through his nose to keep up his illusion.

I was, by no means, an idiot. Even though my head was being pushed against my neck, I nodded.

Neid's fingers flexed, and I could see every individual vein – each vein that was waiting in heated anticipation to hear me scream their master's name. As hard as I tried, I couldn't peel my eyes away from them…

…Until, of course, I heard something tearing. I didn't have to look down to know what it was: Neid had completely torn my uniform apart with his hands. My bare chest was exposed to the madman; he licked his lips.

"Ich kann nicht glauben, wie vollkommen Ihr Körper geformt wird. Und das ist alles meinig." And once again, he was on top of me – there was no use in holding me down; his entire weight performed that task with relative ease.

His rough tongue was snaking its way along my exposed chest. It circled around my nipples, which hardened at his touch; it coated the crux of my chest with thick, viscous saliva. As he got closer to my navel, my back began to arch towards him. Despite all my effort to right myself, I couldn't stop.

Maybe I cried out his name, maybe I didn't. All I know is that afterward, his hands were clawing with ravenous abandon at my pants. While still sucking upon my abdomen, he fumbled with the belt until it finally came undone; he proceeded to rip my pants down and completely off my body. He yanked with such force that my boots flew like clumps of dirt from my feet.

I closed my eyes, trying not to believe what was happening. My entire body, still young and pure, was on full display for Neid. And he was enjoying every second of it.

Something hit my neck. It felt like fabric…Cracking one eye open, I saw something I particularly didn't want to – one of Neid's white gloves was on me. Not on his hand. And the other glove landed on me a moment later.

It didn't take long for me to feel Officer Neid's bare hands fondling my sac. His fingers were contouring to its shape, and once he was situated, he began to squeeze.

A sick feeling ran up my body, causing me to have a fit. I flung my arms, legs, anything that could move in order to rid myself of that feeling.

One firm slap from Neid settled me down. "Tun Sie bitte das nicht. Es schmälert mein Vergnügen." And he returned to my nether regions.

His smooth, slender fingers placed themselves upon my manhood. With his thumb, he traced circles about its head. I didn't have to see his tongue to know it was exposed, heading right for me. But it didn't stop my retching at the contact. Now I could definitely feel tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

As Neid put my manhood into his mouth, it betrayed me and hardened; a small cackle gurgled from Neid's throat.

Nothing was going to help me now. My hand curled into a fist before quickly unclenching and clinging to the desk's edge. I resigned myself to Neid and let him have his way with me.

* * *

"Ich kann nicht Ihnen absolut widerstehen" - "I absolutely cannot resist you."

"Ich bin nicht häufig überrascht" - "I'm not often surprised."

"Ich habe einen Vorschlag für Sie" - "I have a proposal for you"

"Niemand" - "None"

"Ihr unglaublich süßer Körper ist zweifellos köstlich" - "Your incredibly cute body is delightful."

"Also, sind Sie dabei, es zu nehmen, oder nicht" - "So, are you going to take it, or not?"

"ein klassischer Wahnsinniger" - "a classic maniac"

"Ich kann nicht glauben, wie vollkommen Ihr Körper geformt wird. Und das ist alles meinig" - "I can't believe how perfectly your body is sculpted. And it's all mine"

"Tun Sie bitte das nicht. Es schmälert mein Vergnügen" - "Please don't do that. It detracts from my pleasure."


	5. An Angel

I hope this chapter isn't complete crap - all it really is is backstory.

I want to take this time to thank everyone who has been reviewing and faving Sklavenheim. You guys make me extremely happy and motivate me to keep on writing. So, thankies for taking the time to read the story and tell me what you think - I only hope that I can satisfy everyone.

* * *

Without a doubt, I've cried harder before. The problem is that I don't remember when.

I must've looked quite pathetic at the moment – sitting on the edge of one of the Sklavenheim cots, my hands covering my face, tears nonetheless cascading down my chin and falling to the floor. Faintly, I remembered that Zorn's arms were wrapped around my body. And while the boy was warm, mere warmth did nothing to comfort me. I had to give him props, though - mindestens versuchte er.

Somewhere, I heard someone huffing. "Zorn, tell the brat to get over himself." It was difficult to place the voice, but after a minute I was able to figure out it belonged to Nina. Though there was no real way of verifying it, I was sure she was tapping her foot.

"You don't have to be so rude!" I heard Zorn protest. "Cut him some slack – I'm pretty sure you felt disgusted with yourself afterwards!"

Nina gave a blunt laugh. "So what if I did? At least I had some decency and waited until I was inside and the door was locked before I started sobbing – und ich werde Sie kennen lassen, dass ich wie ein kleines Kind nicht jammerte."

Someone was going to hear my "wailing"; I was positive of it. After Nina said that, my sobs increased in volume. This resulted in Zorn holding me tighter, which prompted a male voice (it had to be Alphonse) to give a slightly disgusted groan.

"Will you cut that out?" Alphonse asked in an irritated tone. As nasty as he might've been, my crying started to slow. "Zorn, just because you have the same tastes as Neid doesn't mean you have to put them on public display."

Okay, that one had a little too much information associated with it. I pulled myself away from Zorn, whose hands put up no resistance. Through tear-stained vision, I was able to see the shaggy boy's face: beet red. His head whipped around, and by following it, I could see Alphonse, who was leaning up against the wall. Even his face seemed to be a slight shade of pink.

"For your information, Al," Zorn began, and then stopped. His hands were curled into fists; his entire body was shaking; maybe he was even biting his lip. Part of me really didn't care, but…

Before I had time to contemplate the thought that was slowly forming in my mind, Zorn continued. "…I was giving him comfort." The look on Alphonse's face showed that he hadn't yet been dissuaded of…whatever impression he was under that involved Zorn. "Friendly support," the shaggy boy clarified. "I don't see any of you helping him out."

"Yes." That was Nina. "But I also don't see any of us pulling him in for a kiss." I saw Zorn go redder, if that was even possible. "Look, none of us mind your preferences, but not right after one of Neid's…sessions. Please."

I definitely heard Zorn mutter something under his breath, but what it was I didn't know.

"Well, would you look at that?" Alphonse's voice had a small bounce in it. Staring up at him, I wondered what it could be about. Almost in response to my silent question, he cocked his head to the side and nodded towards me. "Er hat aufgehört zu schluchzen."

I couldn't help but smile – a small bit, since I was still mortified over what my commanding officer had done. But it seemed that everyone else was done with me: Nina went over to Alphonse and began conversing with him. Their voices were merry, so they obviously weren't discussing me. Lyra was quiet as ever.

However, I didn't expect Zorn to come scooting back over to me. As a sort of instinctual response, I gasped and leaned away from him. But he persisted, coming nearer to me and resting his hand on top of mine. "S-sorry…" he told me, doing what I assumed was trying to grin it off; it wasn't working.

"R-really?" I straightened up. "What do you have to be sorry for? If anyone, I should be apologizing. Ich hasse so verdammt schwach zu sein..." One of my hands ran itself through my hair, but before it could finish, something else blocked its path. Turning my head, I saw Zorn's arm sticking out, blocking me.

"You're not weak," he replied.

"I definitely was when I was in there with Neid…He was disgusting…"

"Disgusting?!" Zorn actually looked shocked. "Nein, nein, nein! His methods are unorthodox, but he isn't disgusting! In fact, he's the most caring man I've ever met!"

This came as a surprise to me. "Do you mean that?" He nodded. But at the same time, my heart sank. "Not him. I thought he might've been, but after what happened…"

Zorn playfully elbowed me in the side, which hurt more than I think he intended it to. "You haven't seen the real side of him yet," he told me in a reassuring voice. "He's just made a bad first impression."

In an exasperated tone I ordered him, "Erzählen Sie mir."

And then Zorn got a bit of a dreamy glint in his eyes, as though someone had misted over them with sparkles. "A few years ago, I was living in a small town. It was so serene; I was probably just like you were before you came here.

"Unfortunately, I did hide something. I had a secret. Not that I'd ever tell anyone, but…" He took a deep breath, sighed, then continued. "…When I look at you, when I see a man, I get this feeling…There's a lump in my stomach." His hand gestures left me confused; they consisted of his arms zigzagging all over his chest in odd motions. "The same thing just doesn't happen with women.

"Anyway, that peace I told you about was before the soldiers came. Our village was housing some members of the Nationalsozialismus, and apparently our enemies found out." Tears now got their chance to well up in his eyes. "All I can r-really remember is the gunfire…And the screams…" I saw his hands trembling, almost clutching onto mine for support. "Und, oh Gott, das Blut... Es gab Blut überall..."

It took the boy a minute to calm down and stop choking on tears. "After everything was said and done, there were only a few of us still alive – the enemy soldiers were gone. One of our troops had survived, and he led us away from our home…It took a few weeks, but we met up with some other refugees and started camping together.

"Everything was going so perfectly until I told our leader my secret." I could visibly see the confusion, discontent, and anger rising on Zorn's face. "He was shocked. He was absolutely infuriated. Without a second thought, he banished me. When I protested, he threatened to shoot me right there. What else could I do?"

My breath was coming in short bursts; I was on pins and needles. This boy's history was terrible…And though I was uncomfortable with his obvious advances, I couldn't imagine someone _killing_ him over them. But he still hadn't told me anything about Officer Neid.

"I was lost…alone, in the snow, with nothing to keep me warm." It took a minute for me to realize he had been continuing his story. "That's when _he_ found me – Neid. He saw me for what I was: human." The look on Zorn's face was of pure bliss. "He took me in, sheltered me, and let me enlist. I was so happy. I was put into 19th Infantry, and nothing could've gone better." With a contented sigh, he fell backwards onto the bed.

"Er ist ein Engel."

My eyes could only stare at the boy as he drifted off into peaceful reminiscence. Perhaps he was right…maybe Neid was a good person.

But at the same time, the sadistic gaze he wore whenever he saw me argued otherwise.

* * *

"mindestens versuchte er" - "at least he was trying"

"und ich werde Sie kennen lassen, dass ich wie ein kleines Kind nicht jammerte" - "and I'll have you know I didn't cry like a little kid."

"Er hat aufgehört zu schluchzen." - "He's stopped crying."

"Ich hasse so verdammt schwach zu sein..." - "I hate being so fucking weak..."

"Nein, nein, nein!" - No, no, no!"

"Erzählen Sie mir." - "Tell me."

"Und, oh Gott, das Blut... Es gab Blut überall..." - "And, oh God, the blood...The blood was everywhere..."

"Er ist ein Engel." - "He's an angel."


	6. The Boom of Gunfire

The gunfire was still echoing in my ear…I'd always imagined the loud crack of a rifle as it shot, but never to the intensity it actually was. And with my Karabiner mounted on my shoulder, the trigger right next to my ear, the sound was earsplitting.

However, all the pain rattling about in my head was absolutely worth it. Neid's approving smile and nod told me that I was doing good, doing the right thing. A warm chill erupted down my spine when I saw my commanding officer do this - süße Wohlbefinden-Ausbreitung über mein komplettes Wesen.

The Stücke put up little resistance against our attack, a small operation that Neid jokingly referred to as _'die Reinigung des Hauses'_.

Everything had begun in the morning, at our base. I'd been forcefully brought out of sleep and into the real world in a fit of shaking. Upon further inspection, however, I noticed that Zorn's hand was resting on my shoulder, his fingers wrapped around me. His eyes looked dead; they held that listless expression of someone who is stirred from sleep in total darkness.

He stared at me for a few moments, then slowly released my shoulder and scooted away from me. Both of his hands were folded into his lap, and his eyes darted to the floor. Versuchte er, meinen Blick zu vermeiden, oder war es etwas anderes? In any case, he was doing a good job of it.

"…He up yet, Zorn?" My morning mindset slowly realized that Nina was speaking. "Neid must've been in here an hour ago, and there'll be hell to pay if you two are late." Zorn didn't answer her, so I had to.

In the middle of a large yawn, I asked her, "What's going on…?" I couldn't see her, but knew she had to be smirking. The cot above my own rustled to the left.

"14th and 19th Infantry are going out on the hunt today," she replied, not wasting the time to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "It'll be a grand adventure, and who knows; Sie könnten ein Andenken bekommen, wenn alles gesagt und getan wird." She laughed harshly and bitterly, her voice reverberating through the Sklavenheim.

"Pah." Someone, it had to be Alphonse, spat. I couldn't see him either. "You're always so sour. Besides, you didn't think that when you got here." And I didn't have to see him to know he was smiling wildly.

"Bumsen Sie, Alphonse," she told him quite bluntly. My face went red, and I swear I heard Lyra squeak at Nina's foul language. Zorn had his face in his lap, shaking himself back and forth in what I assumed was exasperation. "I don't believe anything he believes."

The room grew silent after Nina proclaimed this. The only sounds to interrupt the quiet consisted of Zorn and myself putting on our uniforms; while I dressed hurriedly, Zorn seemed to take his time, as though lost in space, and only just barely finished as I rushed out the Sklavenheim's door.

"Herankommen," I prompted Zorn. "We're gonna be late if you don't pick up the pace."

Still, though, the boy walked on ahead in a lethargic, floating manner. He blinked lazily, his purple eyes uncharacteristically dull. His mouth hung ajar as he absent-mindedly muttered, "I'm sorry. For earlier."

When I slowed down, I think I caught him off guard. As I neared him, he appeared to stumble forward over his own feet and awaken a little more. "What did you do?" I asked him when he was close enough.

Oddly, as soon as I'd asked, Zorn sped up. It was as if he was trying to avoid me. And that was something I wouldn't allow, seeing as he was one of the only people in the entire army I was familiar with (I imagine the other person would be Neid, but knowing his motivations, that wasn't necessarily a good thing). With fervor to match the boy's, I caught up and began to keep pace with him. "What are you sorry for?" I appealed to him once again.

It was easy to tell that Zorn desperately wanted to avoid the conversation I was prompting; I wouldn't let him. When he'd speed up, so would I. This continued down the halls, people giving us an assortment of funny looks as we continued our broken path to where Neid was waiting, no doubt annoyed at our lack of punctuality.

Finally, he snapped. After I, again, asked him, "What are you sorry for", he slowed and took a deep breath.

"When you woke up, I was…I mean, I…I never meant to…You don't want…" He clutched his skull with his hands, softly tearing at clumps of black hair. "Ich will nicht, dass Sie denken, dass ich eine Missbildung bin."

Maybe I stopped in my tracks for a split second; I don't know. What I do know is that I wrapped my arms around his stomach, pulling him in close. His heavy, quickened breathing was loud in my ears. Leaning in close to his head, I told him, "You're not a freak. You never will be." I allowed one of my hands to curl around one of his, and he grasped it tight. For a moment, I felt him squeezing me, almost taking comfort in my touch.

He disengaged from me after a few seconds. "Don't do that ever again, please." I was slightly taken aback by his words. But when he turned to me, I could see tears welling up in his eyes. "I know you don't like me that way…the way that I like you." The look of dejection was heavy in his eyes. "I've never felt this way about women – only about men. In the eyes of everyone, _I am a freak_. The only reason I'm not in the hands of Mengele is because Neid takes pity on me." He shook his head. "You're misleading me, and it's only going to make me feel worse."

I was left standing there, dumbfounded, as Zorn walked on. The only thing I wanted to do was to cheer him up…Of course I didn't mean it in that way, I was just concerned for him…

The question of what I'd done wrong weighed on my mind all through Neid's speech about how we were going to this village on behalf of the Fuhrer; how they were committing direct treason to his leadership; "Stücke" came up more than a few times, with Neid retching every single time he had to spit the word from his throat.

I didn't see Zorn at all on our way to the small village. Then again, seeing as he was in 19th Infantry and I was in 14th, why should I? Außerdem schien er zu darauf scharf auf der Unterhaltung irgendwie nicht. Still, though, the wonder of why I'd offended him to such a degree stayed fresh in my mind. It was there as I loaded my rifle full of loyalty, hatred, and lead; as I felt my boots squish into the mud and grass of a rain-drenched field. The huts were coming up on the horizon; people were already outside, doing such things as hanging up their laundry and tending to their crops.

From where I stood, I could clearly hear Neid's sharp whistle.

And, for some reason, the boom of gunfire drowned out my confusion.

* * *

süße Wohlbefinden-Ausbreitung über mein komplettes Wesen - the sweet euphoria spread across my body.

_'die Reinigung des Hauses' - 'cleaning house'_

Versuchte er, meinen Blick zu vermeiden, oder war es etwas anderes? - Was he trying to avoid my look, or was it something else?

"Sie könnten ein Andenken bekommen, wenn alles gesagt und getan wird." - "You might even get a souvenir when everything's said and done."

"Bumsen Sie, Alphonse" - "Fuck you, Alphonse"

"Herankommen" - "Come on"

"Ich will nicht, dass Sie denken, dass ich eine Missbildung bin." - "I don't want you to think I'm a freak."

Mengele - Josef Mengele, a Nazi physician known as the 'Angel of Death' because of the inhuman experiments he performed on human beings

Außerdem schien er zu darauf scharf auf der Unterhaltung irgendwie nicht - Besides, he didn't seem too keen on talking, anyway.


	7. Like a Smaller Sibling

One of Neid's _sessions_ wasn't the best thing to happen when I returned to base after our little sneak attack. My mind was already racked with confusion surrounding Zorn, and my head was splitting in two because of the gunfire that close to my ears. So, naturally, my commanding officer stroking me in the most provocative ways possible didn't help matters. I had to add to my list of complaints being cold, having this disgusting white liquid all over my chest, having to support Officer Neid's weight while he rammed his _you-know-what _up my rear end, and the mortifying taste of his tongue coating the insides of my cheeks. Excuse me for being so dreary and cynical, but that wasn't exactly the best medicine for me.

So – my behind _das Brennen wie Sie kann sich nicht sogar vorstellen!_ – I stumbled back down the hallways from Neid's office. That had been the fourth or so visit to his quarters, and I wished I'd known sooner that killing got him in the mood for sex. The other three times were horrific, of course, but this time he was _vigorous_. If I heard correctly, part of his desk snapped off from the constant heaving.

As much as I was hurting, there was no way I could cradle myself with everyone watching me. It seemed that every time I wandered along the tear-stricken path to my superior's office there were entire groups of people lined up just to watch me walk along, wallowing in my misery. Es war, als ob ich auf der vollen Anzeige nicht nur für ihn, aber für die komplette Armee war. But I guess it wasn't all bad – I now had better guns than anyone else in 14th Infantry, and Neid was promising me a promotion if I satisfied him the next time.

Time went slowly as I neared the door to the Sklavenheim, perhaps by some sheer force of will on my part; for once, after Neid had his sadistic pleasure with me as the object of his desire, I didn't want to go anywhere near the Sklavenheim. But, maybe Zorn wouldn't be there and I could just sleep everything away like a bad dream. Like this was a bad dream – wouldn't that make it easier?

However, when I pushed open the Sklavenheim door, what should the first thing I see be anyone other than the black-haired kid? He was kicking some sort of imaginary can around on the floor near that mysterious stain (which I was beginning to believe wasn't spilled milk) and keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. When I walked in, he didn't even react.

Almost limping away from him, I threw myself down on the nearest cot I could find. It happened to be the one right next to where Alphonse was laying. His head turned to the side as I flopped down. "Glückwünsche beim Überleben eines anderen Tages, Kindes. …Hope it wasn't _too_ horrible. The bastard gets turned on by watching things die."

"It was the worst one yet…"

Alphonse shrugged where he lay. "Wish I could help, but I don't really know what to tell you. Sorry?"

Sighing, I nodded and lay back against the mattress; it was hard as a rock, and felt like one, too. This definitely wasn't how I'd pictured life in the army, but what choice did I have? It was my head if I disobeyed my commanding officer, und ich hatte einen Verdacht, dass Neid nicht achthaben würde, wenn mein Blut seinen Händen wäre.

Minutes passed like an inchworm, literally inching its way up a hill. My eyes just stared up at the plain white ceiling; breathing was the only reason the silence was broken.

Finally, I turned back to Alphonse; he was absent-mindedly playing with his thumbs, eyes half closed. "Uh…hey, Al…?"

Releasing a large yawn, his eyes turned to me without any other part of his body moving. "Yeah…?" I didn't need the yawn to figure out that he was tired.

"Do you know if Zorn's alright?" Both of our sets of eyes lazily shifted to Zorn, who was sitting in the corner, his back up against the wall. The boy looked absolutely sedated, his chest only minimally rising and falling and his eyelids unmoving. With his milky skin and scrawny hair and sallow face, it was like looking at a corpse.

Alphonse sighed. "I don't know what the kid's thinking half the time. Aber seitdem er zurückkehrte, hat er gerade gestöhnt."

"Moaning…?"

"Über Sie."

"Wow. I didn't know I'd done that much to Zorn. I mean, he was pretty perturbed after I tried to comfort him while we were going to Neid's, but…"

"Excuse me?" This wasn't Alphonse's voice that was interrupting me. Into my vision, from a cot on the second level of beds, came Nina's face, slightly wrinkled, orange hair falling into her eyes. "You did _what _on your way to Neid's?"

Immediately, like some sort of instinctual defense, I raised my hands. "He was sad and selling himself short. I was just trying to cheer him up. Was wie man nahm an, ich tat?" When I said that, I was attempting to end the conversation before it ever really began.

Nina, though, wasn't about to let that happen. "Ich wusste immer, dass Männer dicht waren, aber ich nahm nicht an, dass Sie so dumm waren…" she muttered. I was quite taken aback by this, the second time I'd done so during the day. "Honestly, Ed, do you have no brains at all?" she incredulously asked me, wrinkling her nose and making her nostrils flare.

"What did I do wrong, then?!" I pleaded.

"That would be a 'no', Nina," Alphonse chimed in.

"Okay, then." Nina brought up a hand to rub her temple. "Let me put this plainly for you: you like women, yes?" I nodded. "Alright. And the things Neid does make you want to curl up in a corner and die?" Once again, I nodded. "Then you're straight as a board, like the rest of us." Her head, however, motioned over to Zorn.

"I thought you'd have figured this one out by now, but Zorn's homosexual. He likes boys, it's weird, and he knows it. He's had to live with it a secret for so long, and whenever he tells someone, it always ends up negatively for him." I nodded, following along – of course I knew that Zorn liked men. He told me so himself. "When he told us, we accepted him, and he's been grateful to us ever since. But he knows that none of us share his interests.

"Ed, Zorn has been seriously jaded in his lifetime. And whatever you did with him in the halls, I don't know what (and I really don't want to, so don't bother explaining), was most likely bordering on a sexual advancement. Zorn knows you like women, and I know for sure that he felt like you were making fun of him."

"But I wasn't!" I protested. "I was just trying to-"

"Cheer him up, we know," Alphonse groaned. "Sie haben nur so eine Million Male gesagt."

"Thank you for that, Al," Nina said sarcastically. She turned back to me. "It doesn't matter what your intentions were – all that matters is that Zorn believes you're making his sexuality a big joke. By the by, if you are, I'll rip your face off." She said that with a certain gleam in her eye; I couldn't tell if it was joking or murderous, but nonetheless, I backed off.

"…Then what should I do?" I pleaded with them, trying not to sound desperate (which I was).

Nina yawned and laid her head back down on her cot. "…Just apologize to him. Is it really that complicated…?" A few minutes later, I could hear her steady breathing. To my side, Alphonse was snoring lightly and scratching his stomach. They were both asleep.

My head turned to look at Zorn. He was still slumped against the wall, resting and dreaming peacefully. And I couldn't help noticing he was _cute_, but like a younger brother or a household pet – nothing more. At least five times, that peaceful face barred me from getting up.

In the end, I wasn't able to apologize to him. I wasn't even able to walk up to him – but I guess that's the effect a smaller sibling has on you. Right? My head fell against the hard mattress, but a smile never left me.

* * *

_das Brennen wie Sie kann sich nicht sogar vorstellen! - burning like you can't even imagine!_

Es war, als ob ich auf der vollen Anzeige nicht nur für ihn, aber für die komplette Armee war. - It was as if I was on display for not only him, but the entire army.

"Glückwünsche beim Überleben eines anderen Tages, Kindes." - "Congratulations on surviving another day, kid."

und ich hatte einen Verdacht, dass Neid nicht achthaben würde, wenn mein Blut seinen Händen wäre - and I had a suspicion that Neid wouldn't mind if my blood was on his hands

"Aber seitdem er zurückkehrte, hat er gerade gestöhnt." - "But ever since he returned, all he's been doing is moaning."

"Über Sie." - "About you."

"Was wie man nahm an, ich tat?" - "What was I supposed to do?"

"Ich wusste immer, dass Männer dicht waren, aber ich nahm nicht an, dass Sie so dumm waren…" - "I always knew men were dense, but I didn't expect you to be so stupid..."

"Sie haben nur so eine Million Male gesagt." - "You've only said so a million times."


	8. Lust

I really wanna apologize in advance - this chapter is total shit. I had to force it out because it contains a very important plot point, without which the story couldn't go on the way it should. So, please excuse how unimaginably awful it is, it'll get back to the good stuff next chapter (though two chapters from now, you'll probably be crying and hating on me for what happens)

* * *

Weeks passed, and I was reclaiming my trust in Neid. After the episode with the killing in the village and his positively monstrous drive, he seemed to calm down. Instead of eying me with some sort of twisted desire, his expressions were softer and friendlier. In fact, he was making me rise in rank in the 14th Infantry, and I was nearing the top. More opportunities and privileges were being given to me; new doors were being opened, and everything I put myself through began to appear a small price to pay.

Komisch, wie naiver in der Mitte des Erfolgs sein kann.

Around the time I found out, freedom was steadily reintroducing itself to me. More often than before, I was going out of the Sklavenheim and wandering aimlessly through the base. I still felt small underneath the stares of all the seasoned soldiers and their merit badges, but it didn't mean I couldn't walk past them. Actually, I hoped that I could do so with my head held high, but I wasn't quite at that stage yet.

I was near the officers' Rec Room (whose billiard tables and dartboards and dirty, lawless _fun _were strictly off-limits to those of us in the Sklavenheim) when I saw it. And through the hollering, the frenzied shouts of glee from inside, I was able to hear footsteps and _his _voice. Under normal circumstances, Neid didn't want us out of the Sklavenheim's general vicinity, or else he'd give us immediate punishment – dessen Formen unheimlich erfinderisch und furchterregend waren.

Luckily, months of being near him made his voice easily recognizable. Hurriedly, I ducked out of sight and into a small nook between the bend in the hall and the Rec Room door. Squatting there, I watched my commanding officer come into sight. What I witnessed caused my jaw to hit the floor and my brain to do backflips. Neid was walking down the hall, his arms wrapped around the waist of a tall woman in a revealing black dress. Her high-heeled boots clanked against the floor as she was led along by Neid.

What was going on…? What was he…? Why was he…? Who…? How…? A thousand questions ran through my head as I watched the two pull one another closer.

"Sie sind die nur ein für mich, Lust." That short thought said, he wrapped his arms around the woman's neck. He slowly pulled their heads together, and their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

And the amazing thing was that I felt _jealous_. So many emotions were swirling inside my head that I couldn't make sense of anything but jealousy. But what was I supposed to feel? Officer Neid was right there, kissing the most beautiful (at least, big-breasted) woman I'd ever seen.

As I turned and ran down the hall, away from the scene, I tried to sort out the pandemonium my mind was in. When I began, the first emotion I came across was anger. Was tat er mit ihr? Waren wir für ihn nicht gut genug? Did I not satisfy him enough, submissive as I was and always had been?

My anger soon gave way to confusion. Why was he doing this to us? Every single day, we poured ourselves out to him, and through our misery, we obeyed. We obeyed. And – was it only to spite us? – he went around with this grown woman, acting as if he knew nothing of the Sklavenheim.

Soon, my confusion melted into sadness. By the time I arrived back at the Sklavenheim's door my face was wet with tears. He betrayed us…after everything I'd done to win his favor, he'd betrayed _me_.

Bursting into our own, secluded, little world, I must've appeared quite a mess. But I figured everyone was used to me coming in in an emotional trainwreck. After all, Alphonse had started referring to me as the 'Heulsuse' as of late. Nina agreed that it was a quite fitting nickname for me.

Anyway, everyone turned to me as I entered. No one came running to my side to comfort me, though – not like I'd expected them to. Zorn stared at me from his bed before turning his head and falling against the rock-hard mattress.

Alphonse raised an eyebrow, or at least I think he did – it was nigh impossible to see through the bubble of tears smearing my eyes. "Geez, Heulsuse, lighten up." He smirked. "Wenn wir eine Überschwemmung brauchen, werden wir Ihnen erzählen."

"No!" I blubbered through my hoarse throat and choking teardrops. "It's about Neid!"

"That's weird," Nina mused in a blatantly sarcastic manner. "He usually doesn't fuck the same person two days in a row. What a mystery…" She let out a hollow laugh and propped her body up upon her shoulder, staring intently at me. "So…"

"Th-there's this woman…!" I must've sounded absolutely pathetic – that seemed to be happening more and more often, to my dismay. "A-and sh-she was kissing him and h-he was ki-kissing her, and h-he didn't even men-mention us, l-like we don't e-even exist…" Sometime soon after that, I think I broke into hysterics; truth be told, it's all very murky, and I really can't say either way what occurred next.

What I do remember is that later, I was lying on a cot with Alphonse rubbing my side. "You sure do put up a fight when you're up to it," he told me with a smirk.

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but I bit my lip to remain silent. In all honesty, I didn't want to talk anymore. At all. And what better place to start than the Sklavenheim? The place where the man who betrayed me would come…

"You were ranting on about Neid's fiancé when you stormed in here," Alphonse told me. My eyes flicked towards his, pleading for an explanation, but using no words to say so. Hopefully Al would get the message.

It appeared he did, because he elaborated. "That woman you saw is named Lust. She's engaged to Neid, and they're going to get married when the Fuhrer takes the world. And before you ask, no, not even she knows about the Sklavenheim."

And it was then that my voice went against my direct orders. "You mean…you knew about this…?" Nods. "The…whole time…?" More nods.

"And you didn't do anything about it…?"

When I said that, Alphonse's eyes grew sad. Or tired. Or both. But whatever he felt I never found out – he merely got up and strolled away, near the mysterious stain, and began to quietly hum. I recognized the song as 'Nearer My God to Thee'. My mother had always played it on the piano for me when I was a child…

"What could we do…?"

I was thrown out of my memories and back into the real world, into that cold bed, by Nina's voice. I couldn't see her at all, but could surmise how she felt by the sad, weary tone of her voice. "What could we possibly do? Our fate is in his hands. As much as I hate him, as much as I abhor the fact that he wants another woman over me…My hands are tied."

After that, the Sklavenheim fell silent.

Around an hour later, as I was beginning to drift off to sleep, Zorn suddenly appeared in my line of vision. His dark hair fell in front of his face, obscuring almost both of his eyes. The boy's mouth opened to speak, but he didn't say anything. Reaching a hand out towards me, he pulled back with an almost snapping force, and left me alone. Not too soon after, I entered the world of dreams, my one and only bliss.

* * *

Komisch, wie naiver in der Mitte des Erfolgs sein kann. - Funny how naïve one can be in the midst of success.

dessen Formen unheimlich erfinderisch und furchterregend waren. - the forms of which were uncannily inventive and frightening.

"Sie sind die nur ein für mich, Lust." - "You're the only one for me, Lust."

Was tat er mit ihr? Waren wir für ihn nicht gut genug? - What was he doing with her? Weren't we good enough for him?

Heulsuse - Crybaby

"Wenn wir eine Überschwemmung brauchen, werden wir Ihnen erzählen." - "When we need a flood, we'll tell you."


	9. Snapped

"Ich kann nicht das mehr nehmen!"

I bolted up and stared at the entrance to the Sklavenheim just in time to see Nina kicking it closed with the bottom of her foot. Her clothes were askew, her hair frazzled, and her face was covered in sweat. Unconsciously, I scooted backwards an inch or two to give her all the room she wanted; after all, it was never a good sign if Nina's face was bright red and a vein was splitting her forehead in two.

Alphonse chuckled behind me. "What's the matter, princess?"

Huffing and breathing heavily, Nina attempted to answer. "I…he…" Then, the most incredible, impossible thing in the world happened: Nina started to cry. Her entire body was quavering as she fell against the door, sobbing and screaming incoherent words. The only things I could make out were "Dämon!" and "Teufel!"

This was something that didn't normally happen – in fact, it had never happened during all the months I'd been in the Sklavenheim. I had no idea how to react or what to do; it was like going over a plan for something in your head, then executing it and getting snagged on something you didn't account for. So I sat there without a clue.

The rusted metal springs of an old cot behind me groaned as they bounced and Alphonse came running into my view. He sprinted over to where Nina was breaking down. When he arrived he wasted no time cradling her limp figure in his arms. And she threw her arms around his head to steady herself as she continued to howl. Crying echoed around the room, and it was one of the most forlorn sounds I'd ever heard.

"Calm down!" While this started as a soft, friendly attempt to quiet Nina's sobs, Alphonse ended up having to nearly scream it in order to be heard. It also helped that he was shaking the redhead around. So, a few minutes later, she had finally calmed down enough to speak comprehensible words. "Now tell me what's going on!" By now, I'd gotten up and slowly gravitated towards the door. Looking around, I saw Zorn doing the same; Lyra was holding back, but was still undeniable tuned into what was happening.

Taking deep breaths, Nina finally talked. "It was horrible! Das ist immer schrecklich, aber dieses Mal machte er es eine lebende Hölle! A-after we were finished…After we were finished…" She seemed to be choking on what was next. I could see the anxiety in Alphonse's eyes – he wanted to know what was going on, and he wanted to know right away. However, he didn't prod her; merely stood there as a crutch.

"Right after he was done with me…" She was finally able to speak again. "He told me to get up and he pulled…he pulled _her _into the room." Alphonse's eyes widened, and his pupils dilated.

"He _didn't_!"

"Uh-huh." Nina nodded solemnly. It was just at this moment that I realized who she meant by 'her' – Lust. "He let her look at me; he let her laugh. Then he started kissing her right in front of me, and he forced me to watch…" Nina was an absolute wreck; her entire face was awash in tears. And just when I would've thrown up, her legs gave out from underneath her. She fell to the floor in a heap, laying against the door with her hands covering her entire head. "Das war so demütigend..."

Except for stifled sobs from Nina, the Sklavenheim was quiet. Alphonse looked about ready to break something, and I can assure you it wouldn't be glass. As for me, I was trying to wrap my head around Neid being so needlessly cruel. He had to know how Nina felt, and doing something like that…It wasn't right…

"…I hate him…" The voice of Nina was shaky but steadier than it had been. "I hate him so much…"

"What are you going to do?" Alphonse asked her breathlessly. "What can you-?"

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do." The hands left Nina's head, revealing her face – it was stern and powerful through its wetness. Resolved. "Tonight. I'm going to make him pay. I'll take a knife and _cut_ until everything's gone and the only thing left is blood. And I'll laugh and I'll dice both assets right on the floor."

For the first time I heard Alphonse gasp. "Nina, what are we going to do without Neid?"

"No." Nina's hand curled into a fist. "Not Neid. I'm talking about Lust."

* * *

Blaring alarms thrust me from sleep and into the cold atmosphere of the Sklavenheim. My head was covered in a cool sweat. Turning, I saw Zorn already up and off of his cot, though I couldn't tell if he was really awake through the darkness. Nonetheless, I jumped up to my feet. "What's going on?!" I yelled.

No answer.

Growling, I got on my hands and knees and pulled from under my cot the Karabiner I kept with me. There was nothing quite like the feeling of security. With my gun in my hand and half a clip at the ready, I dashed to the Sklavenheim's door and threw it open.

Soldiers were scurrying down the hall in both directions, their heavy boots thudding against the floor. It was absolute pandemonium – controlled, military pandemonium. Portions of the hall rushed one way, other portions the opposite direction. People were yelling to each other in strangled, two word sentences that said only what they were meant to.

"What are you two doing? Come on!"

As I came back to reality, I saw a female soldier standing in front of the door; Zorn was beside me. The soldier quickly nodded down the hall in the southern direction, and we both got the message. Zorn and I followed the soldier speedily.

"What's going on?" Zorn asked the woman; I could hear the small fear in his voice, but I didn't know if the woman knew him well enough to.

"Shadows running along the wall and attacking people," she replied, seemingly taking no notice of Zorn's apprehension. "They shouldn't do that – our job is to find them and put them out of their misery." She grumbled. "Schatten sollten wirklich die Wand länger bleiben, wo sie gehören."

Before too long, the female soldier left us down a particularly dark corridor. But I had a feeling she wasn't going the right way, and I had a feeling I knew where to go. Apparently, Zorn had the same idea.

Neid's office.

We literally had to fight through the swarm of soldiers to make any headway. Grown men and women were pushing so hard to flow through that it came to blows with some people – leaving me hurting more than I should've been. But it was making progress – we were coming closer and closer to Neid's office.

At one point, Zorn almost fell too far behind me. When I noticed, I reached my hand out to help him, and he almost didn't take it. Instead, he stared at it as though it was some disgusting creature, come to eat him. In the end, he did clutch onto my hand and curl his fingers around me, but I had a hunch it was only because he had to, or else get trampled by the crowd. I won't mention that it took all my strength to pull him back up to me, and he didn't so much as thank me for it.

It took some time, but finally, we were alone at the entrance to Neid's office. My hands were trembling; I didn't want to open the door and discovery what lay on the other side. If only there was some way to delay the inevitable, only for a few more seconds…A few more seconds that I could hope…But my wishes were interrupted by Zorn's quaking hand gripping the handle and turning it.

The door lazily creaked open, revealing to us a void of darkness. There was nothing to be seen but the faint outline of a desk and something protruding from its face. Zorn and I entered cautiously, keeping our guns at the ready. As I slowly closed the door, a voice entered my conscience: "Do put those down; you won't be needing them."

That moment, the room erupted into light. Neid was sitting at his desk, hands folded in front of him. And standing behind him was Lust, her arms folded and a look of utter contempt on her face; her mouth was curled into a dangerous frown.

It took me another moment to notice the other two people in the room. There was a sharp intake of breath from Zorn, and I had to hold myself up with the wall.

Nina and Alphonse were crumbled on the floor, unmoving but still breathing; the knife was still clutched in Nina's hand. My eyes floated back up to Lust – there was a jagged line along her left cheek.

A low chuckle emanated from Neid. His hands unfolded and opened; his expression was purely psychotic. "Schauen Sie, wer schließlich schnappte."

* * *

"Ich kann nicht das mehr nehmen!" - "I can't take this anymore!"

"Dämon!" - "Demon!"

"Teufel!" - "Fiend!"

Das ist immer schrecklich, aber dieses Mal machte er es eine lebende Hölle! - It's always horrible, but this time he made it a living hell!

"Das war so demütigend..." - "It was so humiliating..."

"Schatten sollten wirklich die Wand länger bleiben, wo sie gehören." - "Shadows really should stay on the wall, where they belong."

"Schauen Sie, wer schließlich schnappte." - "Look who finally snapped."


	10. “Es ist nie”

Geez...It nearly killed me to write this chapter. I staved it off as long as I could, in attempts to make it the best I could, but there was no way around it. Certain things had to happen, and I still can't believe it had to come to this. Well, oh well. I doubt you can happily enjoy this chapter - just try and like it in that melancholy sort of way.

* * *

In the gray drear of the early morning, I shivered, clutching my sides with my arms to keep warm. Rain was pelting me with the force and intensity of a blitzkrieg, soaking me to the bone and drenching my uniform. At least Officer Neid had been sympathetic enough to allow our hats outside.

Zorn was standing next to me. He looked ahead, but down at the grass next to the platform, so not to witness the inevitable. I couldn't read his face, but I knew that somewhere behind that mask he had to be going into convulsions. Part of me was still wondering why I wasn't. There was just something so emotionally draining about knowing what the future held in store – aber wie konnte ich etwas so äußerst schrecklich vermeiden?

Zorn, Lyra, and I weren't the only ones present. There were members of the military, of numerous ranks and positions, that were going to stand idly by and watch. Just…watch, and not raise a finger in protest. It was bitter and sickening to realize no one opposed these sorts of things.

Sad, but, nonetheless, true.

Neid had chosen the perfect morning for what he had in store for us. Large dark clouds, chilling temperatures, and biting rain did the most incredible job of personifying what the coming minutes held. Never before had there been so much rain in August, all at one time – the closing stretch of summer was supposed to be warm, right? However, I supposed, Mother Nature could always make an exception. Es gab nichts Warmes über heute.

And so we waited. All of us – myself, Zorn, Lyra, Lust in her large coat, officers I could pick out from the halls, those I couldn't, and other onlookers. Some of us itched with anticipation; others, like me, silently prayed that time would twist itself backwards so that bad things didn't have to happen to good people. It was a fruitless endeavor.

And when it seemed we could wait no longer, the squishing of mud entered our ears. Shifting my eyes, I saw Neid walking up towards the platform. However, he was the furthest he could've managed from wearing his military attire. His costume clashed harshly with the weather.

Officer Neid was wearing a long, flowing robe made of yellows, oranges, and reds. It trailed down past his legs, picking up mud and wet grass as it swept across the yard. Up farther, my commanding officer's entire chest was covered in what looked like a tapestry: an intricate design was woven onto a sort of fabric cuirass depicting the rising sun. Large, blood red wings sprouted from the costume. Finally, a large orange circle was fixed atop Neid's head. As he passed the three of us from the Sklavenheim, he glanced our way. A grim smile adorned his face, but even through that, I couldn't help but get the feeling of being in the presence of God.

Neid's feet swiftly clicked upon the wooden steps in a sort of pitter-patter, like the rain. In no time at all, he'd ascended to the main level of the stage. His hands flew out from under the large sleeves of his ornate costume, his long, lithe fingers stroking the rusting metal of the lever. As he did so, a small grin floated onto his face, withstanding the rain that cascaded down his face and made his hair cling to his body. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance; it was followed by a jagged burst of lightning, and Neid's eyes flashed along with it.

Moving away from the lever, Neid slowed. He took his time getting to the main event, at the center of the large wooden stage. Clearing his throat, he said, "I trust you two are having a good morning?"

I didn't want to look, but my eyes refused to turn away. Nina and Alphonse were up on the stage, standing upon freezing blocks of woods that sat upon two trapdoors. They both stared out ahead at the darkness. Their hands were tightly bound behind their backs.

Their heads were fixed securely in nooses.

After the incident where Nina and Alphonse had attempted to assassinate Lust, Neid had been uncharacteristically furious. He had ranted and raved at all of us, even going so far as to shoot one of his subordinates in the knee for asking a question. Most of all, though, he'd gone absolutely animalistic towards Nina and Alphonse and was something greater than terrifying. Almost immediately after they woke up, he'd lost his temper in every sense of the phrase. With fire in his voice, he told them what he was going to do.

He was going to hang them and make everyone watch – especially Lyra, Zorn, and I.

Staring death in the face had brought out the true sides of Nina and Alphonse. Al was close to tears; we could all see it in the fluctuating features of his face. As for Nina…drohendes Schicksal hatte ihre dunkle Seite erweckt.

"I'm doing just fine, _Neid_," she replied, making sure to put all the disgust she could muster into her superior's name. "I'm about to die for merely wishing to be treated equally, like somebody who matters. So, yes, I feel fucking fantastic. I hope you have just as good a morning when you kick the bucket, because it's what a sniveling shit like yourself deserves. No, it's more than _you _deserve."

Blinking after Nina's rant, Neid burst into laughter. "That's quite funny!"

"What part was?" she retorted in a sinister voice. "Tell me so that I can rephrase it."

Neid calmed down. "Brauche ich einen Grund zu genießen, wie erbärmlich Sie sind?" Extending his arms out to display the regality of his appearance, Neid stepped up to her. "So sorry you won't get to see the sun rise," he commented in fake sympathy. "I know it's your favorite part of the day." He nodded to Alphonse, then turned to face us.

"Ah, so many familiar faces in the crowd," he declared in a deep, rich voice. "And so many I don't have the pleasure of knowing. Nevertheless, I thank each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart, for coming out today to witness justice." There was a snort from Nina, which Neid did his best to ignore. "These two who stand before you, inches from their demise, are there because of their defiance – their defiance of me, as their superior, of the Grand Fuhrer, as their leader, and most importantly, of the Master Race itself." Roars of disapproval for Nina and Alphonse arose from the crowd.

I kept silent, as did Zorn and Lyra, and I think that perhaps we were the only ones. Now I could see Zorn shaking, and I hardly believed it was from the cold.

"Let this be a lesson to all those who carry doubt within their souls. That much is not a crime, but acting on the impulses of the Devil – who makes men take pity on those not of the Master Race, who promotes equality – most assuredly is. So I bring before you an example of Satan's artistry in hopes that you will see the error of that path. My wish is that this will teach you the moral lesson of crushing the influence of darkness in your hearts. For if the Devil be pure of mind, I will not be allowed to pull the trigger and end the lives of two of his agents – but I shall, to prove that there can only be one light at the end of the tunnel." Applause erupted from the crowd, building to a haunting crescendo over the thunder.

Smiling triumphantly, Neid turned and stalked towards the lever, his long robe following him the entire way. And as he placed his hand on the handle, noises from the crowd died down. There was only silence.

Alphonse shifted on the block of wood, crying silently and sniffling in frantic breaths of air through his nose. His face was contorted in horror. Turning to Nina, he mistily told her in a tear-stricken voice, "Das ist nicht schön."

Nina didn't turn to him. She breathed deeply, shutting her eyes for a quick moment then reopening them. Staring ahead, I saw reflected in her eyes true fear. But as I looked past her, I could see violet reaching up over the horizon. The sun was rising.

Sighing, Nina replied, "Es ist nie."

Neid pulled the lever, and the trapdoors flew open. There was a gut-wrenching crunch as both of their lives ended at the same moment. A bolt of lightning eclipsed the rising sun, and for a brief instant, it looked as if Neid himself was the sun instead.

Before I knew what was happening, something was clutching at my sides. Peering down, I saw that Zorn had latched onto me – he was crying into my uniform, gripping my clothes so hard I was afraid of them ripping. But what could I do?

In the end, I patted him on the head and told him that everything was going to be okay. What a lie.

* * *

Later on that day, Neid had allowed Zorn, Lyra, and I to return to the Sklaveheim and rest up. Although he said it in a nice, guardian-like way, I knew that by rest up he meant "prepare for me when I come knocking." It was a terrible prospect to think about, especially after the execution of Nina and Alphonse.

So I ended up rubbing Zorn's back as he sat on a cot, shaking and whimpering.

How could anyone be as heinously cruel as Neid? It was one thing to order the execution, but to force someone like Zorn to watch…? Someone who had searched for so long to find friends in those two, only to watch them hang…? I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

"It's…it's not true…" Zorn murmured. "They can't be gone…."

I rubbed harder and faster. "Sorry, but they are."

He turned to me, eyes big and glossy from crying. "Please don't say that….I don't want them to go yet. Just let me hold onto them a little longer." And I almost broke down right there, but I had to be strong now. As the oldest one in the Sklavenheim, I felt it was my sort of…duty to carry on where Nina and Alphonse had left off.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice Zorn leaning in. Soon after, his lips were touching mine and he was working his tongue around my mouth. Eyes drooping, I didn't protest. But I also didn't join in.

When he was done, Zorn disengaged and I saw that his face was bright red. "I…I can't help it," he told me. "I need somebody – somebody I can _love_." Airily, he added, "I love you, Ed."

And it almost broke my heart to do it, but I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Zorn," I replied. Already, the look of hurt was working its way across his features. "But I can't love a man that way. If I did…" My hands curled into fists. "If I did that, I'd turn into _him_…." Neid was the last person I wanted to be like.

But there was always that nagging voice in the back of my head, asking me if I was truly so different from him. To use others...to hurt them...did that make me evil...?

* * *

aber wie konnte ich etwas so äußerst schrecklich vermeiden? - but how could I avoid something so utterly terrible?

Es gab nichts Warmes über heute. - There was nothing warm about today.

drohendes Schicksal hatte ihre dunkle Seite erweckt. - impending doom had awakened her dark side.

"Brauche ich einen Grund zu genießen, wie erbärmlich Sie sind?" - "Do I need a reason to enjoy how pathetic you are?"

"Das ist nicht schön." - "It's not fair."

"Es ist nie." - "It never is."


	11. Abraham and Carmela

A few dreary, uneventful, incomprehensibly bitter weeks had inched by since Alfonse and Nina had been hung. Their silhouettes remained burnt into my mind's eye, always fading into my thoughts out of the blue and bringing along bittersweet nostalgia and a feeling of absolute helplessness. It was almost as if they served as reminders as to what I once knew, and how wrong I had been. Neid could try all he wanted to act as the good guy, but the lines between good and evil were becoming blurred; worse than ever before, for it was almost impossible for me to make out that difference. Was I evil or good? And what of Neid? My nights were filled with horrific nightmares, whose intensity increased every time I had them; my days were filled with somber recollection and contemplation of what I truly was.

My days were also more occupied with the company of Neid. With the two senior members of the Sklavenheim gone, there was less for him to have his pleasure with; infolgedessen besuchte er mit mir viel öfter als vorher. His appetite was…astounding, to say the least. Like somehow, the executions had caused him to want his sadistic sex even more. Prior to the hangings, the sessions had been unpleasant, humiliating, and stinging; jetzt waren sie erniedrigend und zu einem schrecklichen Grad schmerzhaft. It could hardly be said, though, that Neid wasn't enjoying himself – the pleas for him to stop only spurred him on. He reveled in the fact that he was a god, and not me or Zorn or Lyra could stop him.

The benefits Neid had promised me, however, were still coming. For example, I was almost the sub-commander of the 14th Infantry; my guns were of a superior model to those that my comrades used; my rations had increased. He was following through, and that made everything bearable.

Of course, my view of everything – hell, pretty much my entire life – changed that morning.

Everything was like it should've been – the sun barely peeked through the Sklavenheim, assaulting my closed eyelids so that they had no choice but to relent and open, thrusting me from a night of imaginary horror; although, compared to what my mind had been concocting as of late, Neid as a large snake that curled around me and choked me to death wasn't all too bad. Anyway, as I slowly came to, I noticed a mass of something black near me that wasn't moving.

Blinking a few times, I noticed it was the messy hair of Zorn. He was staring at me out of the corner of his eye. Ever since he had confessed he liked me, after the executions (where I pretty much downright rejected him), things had, surprisingly, been better between us. He was vocal towards me again, and we could actually hold a conversation. It was…comforting, knowing that I wasn't alone. If only Lyra would talk once in a while…

Zorn was lacing up a pair of combat boots. One eye was concentrating on the laces, the other on me; neither one of them was daring the other to look forward. But what for…?

"Going out today?" I asked, shaking my head and stretching my arms towards the ceiling.

"Komisch sollten Sie fragen." That wasn't Zorn's voice; that didn't mean, however, that it was a voice I didn't know. No, I knew the smooth accent and sarcastic silver tongue immediately. All I had to do was turn my head towards the mysterious spill on the Sklavenheim's floor to see its master leaning up against a wall. Taken by surprise, I nearly fell out of my cot; Neid didn't step into the Sklavenheim unless there was something of the utmost importance going on. Arms crossed, he kicked off the wall and started in my direction. "You need to get suited up, too."

"Oh. Are 14 and 19 going on a joint mission, again?"

He shook his head, smiling in a foreboding way that told me nothing but trouble was coming. "Nope, just 14th Infantry. Going to a nearby village to do a little reeducation. Meet me with the others in the Infantry in an hour, sharp." Bowing to me in a mocking manner, he strode towards the door.

"Then why is Zorn getting ready, too?"

Neid stopped, and without turning back, answered me in a haughty manner. "Don't be stupid. Haven't you already figured it out?" Laughing, he opened the Sklavenheim's door, but before he closed it, he said one last thing: "Zorn's been transferred." The door slammed shut.

The air stood still for a few minutes as I processed what I'd just heard. Zorn…transferred into 14th Infantry? It made no sense. And if it didn't, then why…? "Hey, is what he just said true?" I asked.

Zorn nodded. "Yeah, I got the news this morning. Told me I was going to be under his thumb from now on." Both eyes on his boots, he continued fastening the laces.

"But…why?"

And, like Neid probably would have if he'd bothered to acknowledge my existence, the boy shot me a look that accused me of being dumb. Zorn's nose was scrunched in both confusion and annoyance. "Don't you see? Alfonse and Nina were…killed…just a little while ago; everything's been bumpy lately. He wants me under his command so he can watch me…." And his expression softened into something less like annoyance and more like submission. "So he can keep tabs on me all the time." I could hear him almost sputtering on tears, but none came.

I couldn't imagine how he must've felt – the two people he looked up to like guardians and siblings were gone, and the one who'd ended them was taking control of his life. Zorn was taking it all in stride, though, but I knew underneath the exterior he had to be in shambles. "How are you feeling?" I questioned, trying my best to provide a little comfort; a little friendliness.

Chuckling, he replied, "I don't know. Somehow, I feel like I'm betraying all of my comrades. It's hard to believe – they've been with me since I came here, and we were all really beginning to connect. And now, I'm leaving them, and…." He couldn't finish his sentence as he burst into a fit of tears, completely disregarding his half-laced boot and bringing both hands up to cradle his head. "Warum ich?!" His small body shook uncontrollably.

And then, I did the most terrible thing I could've at that moment: nothing. I just sat there on the bed, watching Zorn wallow in misery, and continued to sit there. It was bordering on cruelty, because I knew the kid wouldn't be able to handle too much more of his predicament. All that would have to happen would be a little tip, and he would crash.

Mein Schweigen tat nichts, um das zu beheben.

Less than an hour later, all of 14th Infantry was assembled in nice, orderly ranks before Neid. The commander shook his head a few times, spreading dark green locks all around his uniform as he eyed the soldiers who stood before him in a sort of reverence. It was evident that he was – there was no other word to describe it – _pleased_. I could sense that, in an inhuman way, he took great in joy in being control of so many lives.

"Sorry to disappoint everyone," he said, "but today's mission will just be another run-of-the-mill cleansing. We've had reports of a Stücke village a few miles from here, and we've been charged with taking care of it. Any questions?" When he asked this, not a member of the Infantry raised their hand; none of us even moved, for fear of our commander's impending wrath. "No? Excellent." Neid licked his lips and giggled darkly.

"Let's not waste this daylight."

* * *

The village was everything but quiet. People were bustling around like it was any other day, except that it wasn't – all the Stückes were so oblivious to their fate that it was a bit laughable. Immediately after thinking that, I clutched my head; even if they were a blight upon humanity, I couldn't think like that. If I did, before I could react, I would be another Neid.

Neid had had an idea while we made our way to the village. He thought that if Zorn and I took off our uniforms, we could start the cleansing from inside the village. I wanted to protest, I truly did, but there was no denying him what he wanted – Ich wusste das allzu gut. So the black-haired boy and I stripped down to basic clothes, concealing guns inside our pants, and were sent on ahead.

That's where the two of us found ourselves: walking into the village with the intention of destroying it covertly from within. But, the first step was to actually get to the heart of the place. So we walked forward, looking around and trying not to seem too suspicious.

"I haven't seen you two before." I felt the hairs on the back of my head rise as I slowly turned around. A woman carrying a wicker basket and wearing a simple straw hat upon her head looked our way. Her face broke into a smile. "Well, hello there! Welcome to our humble little town!" She had the brightest features. "Are you two lost?"

Glancing over, I noticed that Zorn was beginning to look uneasy. His jaw was quivering; I would have to answer for the both of us. Thinking quickly, I aimed to deceive the woman. "Yes – we were traveling together and found ourselves here." Deciding to add a little bravado to my performance, I rubbed my stomach in a circular pattern. "And we're so hungry…."

It worked like a charm; the woman was easily fooled. She almost lost her grip on the basket as she rushed over to us. "Oh, you poor things! Come on, come with me and I'll fix you up right as rain. Then we can give you a few supplies for your travels!" She beckoned us to follow her, and almost unconsciously, the both of us did – but not out of deception. The feeling I felt was genuine; I _wanted_ to follow her and eat and learn about her.

The thought was absolutely ludicrous; why on earth should I harbor emotions for a Stücke? It would be out of place in Neid's mind, and wasn't he always right? About everything?

The woman's house was more like a hut. But when we entered through a makeshift cloth door, I soon realized it was much more: the hut had drawings scattered around the grass floor, a table in the middle, a small kitchen area off to the right, and a place for beds to the left. A man and two small girls were already inside when the three of us entered.

"We're going to need a few more bowls, Abraham!" she chimed jovially. "We have guests."

He man turned around and grinned, although I could see the worry etched subtly onto it. "Oh? Carmela, you should really warn me when guests are coming. Give us a little more time to prepare."

Carmela smiled and chortled. "I would if you could cook!" The four Stückes burst into laughter as they went about setting up for Zorn and I. What were they thinking?

And then Zorn spoke up. "You don't have to – we don't want to impose."

"It's no imposition," Abraham explained as he took two bowls off of a small counter in the "kitchen".

Nodding, Carmela added, "We may not have much, but we have us. And we're willing to share that with anyone who needs it."

That's when I sickening feeling erupted in the pit of my stomach. Turning to Zorn, I saw that he wore an expression of pure terror, as I probably was. In fact, the boy was shaking. "Zorn…?" I asked in a small, squeaky voice.

Returning my gaze to the family, I saw Abraham and Carmela giving us odd looks. "What's wrong?" the man asked.

So this was what we were fighting…? We were declaring to kill people just like us, who were just as human and even more caring and nonviolent? "Oh, Gott…" And the two _humans_ before us got even more confused.

"What's going on?" Carmela asked.

But I wasn't able to answer her. At that moment, there was a loud bang, the sound of splintering wood, and before I knew it, Abraham was lying on the ground; unmoving; in a pool of red. Carmela screamed, covering her mouth with her hands; she fell to the earth and stared into the eyes of Abraham, which were wide open in death. Her eyes changed direction, to the cloth door, and I didn't need a visual to recognize that laugh.

Another gunshot rang out, and Carmela fell to the ground beside her husband. The two girls looked to their dead parents in disbelief – it was as if they didn't understand what was going on. If they had, they wouldn't for much longer, because two more gunshots rang out. The girls keeled over, dead.

Neid strolled into the middle of the house, admiring his work with the eyes of an artist. And he didn't even notice Zorn and I, holding each other close, eyes wide and full of tears.

* * *

infolgedessen besuchte er mit mir viel öfter als vorher - as a result, he visited with me much more often than before

jetzt waren sie erniedrigend und zu einem schrecklichen Grad schmerzhaft - now, they were demeaning and painful to a horrible degree

"Komisch sollten Sie fragen." - "Funny you should ask."

"Warum ich?!" - "Why me?!"

Mein Schweigen tat nichts, um das zu beheben - My silence did nothing to remedy that

Ich wusste das allzu gut - I knew that all too well

"Oh, Gott…" - "Oh, God…"


	12. Neid's Punishment

What could I say? Zorn and I just stood there and watched four innocent people, who offered us food and showed us light, get massacred by Neid. And…did it matter that they were Jewish? If anything, Abraham and Carmela managed to show me that it didn't matter what someone's religion was; the only real measure of a person was who they were deep down. Right? However, every single thing Neid ever told me was echoing throughout my mind – powerful words about how Jews were scum of the world, about how the Fuhrer was correct, and how we, as a race, were superior to those who didn't obey. The propaganda swirled in my brain, bouncing off every nook and every cranny that my skull had to offer so much that it was giving me a splitting headache.

As Neid surveyed his work and left the bloody hut, I felt my stomach lurch. A hot feeling rushed to my head, and there was a sudden surreal twinge bouncing around my face. Time appeared to stop as I felt my legs wobble and give out from under me, and the world faded into black.

I don't know exactly how long I was out, but when I came to, I was still in the hut. Alles erschien gerade wie, wie ich es verließ. My eyes blinked a few times before my head lolled to the side. Right there, staring me in the face with unmoving, bloody blue saucers, was one of Abraham and Carmela's children. She was lying right beside me, her body wallowing in its own blood, her eyes wide open and a surprised expression frozen on her face.

Was konnte ich anders tun als Schrei? My legs wanted desperately to rise and run, but I was far too weak to. Instead, my arms flailed and beat upon the earthen floor, sometimes even splashing in the pond of blood, as I tried to get away by any means possible. I think someone was calling out my name, but I was too busy trying to escape from the grotesque scene before me that I didn't fully notice.

"Ed!" A voice was ringing in my ears, yet I refused to hear it. Nothing could be attended to until I got the sight of the dead child out of my mind, and avoid it being seared inside my conscience forever. The world was being flipped upside-down, being turned at supersonic speeds, and it was sickening – it was as if I were in a nightmare and being rocked on my bed. No word could describe the sensation, and it was gradually getting more and more intense. Intensifying, intensifying, intensifying…

Something curled around my chest and the whirling stopped; fast wie jemand hatte ihren Fuß davor gestellt. My screams slowly died down into faint whimpers – never before, in my life or dreams, had I seen something so gruesome, so…

I couldn't find the words to describe it.

It was then that I felt something working its way up the side of my neck. This was cold and moving in a random pattern. And it wasn't until I felt a hand on my shoulder that I figured out what it was. Or _who _it was, I should say. For some reason, though, perhaps the visual trauma I'd just experienced, I didn't stop his lips from working their way up to my earlobe. Once there, his teeth gently nibbled on it for a second or two. Still, even though I wanted nothing to do with his attraction, I let him continue.

When it was over, he breathed softly into my ear. "It'll be okay," he told me as his finger left my shoulder, and, a few moments later, began twisting my golden hair.

"No it won't…" I groaned, taking a deep breath. "He…he killed them, Zorn. Just like…" I snapped my fingers weakly. "…That…" After that, it was like all the strength had been zapped from my bones, and my arm slumped against the floor. The heat was making my head toast, and I knew I couldn't hold it much longer.

"Zorn…"

My head fell forward and I could taste the bile coming up my throat before it reached my tongue. And as it spread before me, mixing with the blood, the world once again darkened.

* * *

Ich konnte nicht genau erzählen, als ich aufwachte. No light streamed into the Sklavenheim, one of whose cots I was lying upon, so I assumed it was night. The air was uncharacteristically still – even when Alphonse and Nina had been alive, there'd been some illusion of life floating around the Sklavenheim. Now everything seemed…dead.

"Z-Zorn…?!" I called out, able to hear the pitch of my voice rise and shake in a slight panic. No one answered me. At that, I felt my eyes widen a small bit. "L-Lyra?!" Still no answer…My fingers clenched against the meager sheets resting around my waist, tightening with every passing moment to the point where sweat was rolling off my fingernails. Where was everyone…? Was I alone…? But, more important than all that, where was –

"Good evening, handsome."

Scheiße. Scheiße, scheiße, scheiße. The _extremely _last person I wanted to see was Neid, and when I looked up, there he was; leaning against the far wall, hovering uncomfortably close to the mysterious stain. His orchid eyes scanned me with the knowing eye of an artist, but not an artist I would want near me. Now that I knew what he was… Before, I could tolerate the sex and the seclusion, because I was getting rewarded, but now… He was a monster, an absolutely disgusting monster, and I wanted nothing more to do with him.

But the images of Alphonse and Nina flashed through my head. They'd defied Neid, and they were killed for it.

Wie würde ich jemals im Stande sein, gegen ihn zu stehen? Right there, even without his otherworldly outfit on, he was God… In the Sklavenheim, _he _made the rules; _he _made the threats; _he _was the beginning of all things, and the ending of them. To stand against him would be to challenge God. I was nowhere near that level of strength and determination.

"Why the long face?" he asked me, a wicked smile twisted onto his face. As he advanced, he continued. "You did quite a good job of distracting the Schtüke…" He made sure to speak slowly, so that, when he ended "Schtüke" with an emphasized scowl, he was right next to the cot I was laying helplessly on.

Neid's ungloved hand came to rest upon my right shoulder, but I dared not look up into those horrible eyes of his. Even without staring, I could just _feel_ the darkness written all over him. "Perhaps too good of a job…"

It was faster than an instant; quicker than a moment. His hand struck me across the cheek, sending the other half of my face spiraling into the hard mattress. By this time, I'd gotten used to Neid's violent behavior; nonetheless, the hit was harder and fiercer than any other attack I'd endured from him. Almost against my will, my head turned to the man, and I saw the seething cruelty that burned in his eyes. I thought my eyes were wide, what with the surprise of being hit so hard; Neid's put mine to shame.

"What in the hell do you think you were doing?" he breathed. "I gave you explicit instructions to work your way into that slum and take it out from the inside." His hand was clenched into a fist, his knuckles a ghostly white; his face was deep red. "Instead, what do I find? You clinging to Zorn, that little…that little freak!"

"Don't you call him a freak!" I screamed, the first time I ever remember doing so to my superior's face.

At that moment, something in Neid snapped. Right in two. He came down onto me like a great condor, his talons snatching my sides. With an almost feral roar, he lifted me up and threw me to the ground, at least a good fifteen feet away from my cot. "Don't you talk back to me!" he shrieked. His air was coming in long, deep, heavy breaths, and he was slouched over like a brainless monster; I merely stayed where I lay, too frightened to move another muscle.

Neid stalked towards me, and I could already see that his uniform was sliding off his shoulders; his hat flew over into the mess of cots, landing with nothing but a soft thump. It wasn't hard to figure out what was about to happen, and as much as I didn't want it, the answer was concrete: es sollte kein Herausfordern ihm geben. Neid's glove slid off his slender hands as he told me, in a calm voice that was so unsteady it dared to break, "I'm going to fuck you so hard that you'll wish you'd never been born." His voice was dark as night, and in that moment I realized I never should've betrayed him.

Not more than a minute later, he was completely naked, and I felt my body being lifted from the floor. Roaring, he rammed me into the Sklavenheim's wall, sending drywall flecks cascading into the air. Neid had completely lost control; before I could assimilate what was happening, my shirt was on the floor in shreds; moments later, my pants joined them. When I started to finally struggle, Neid bit at my shoulder and punched me square in the center of my face. The salt of my tears mixed with the blood in my mouth and was an atrocious flavor.

Neid was planting kisses and love bites anywhere he could – some on my sore face, others trailing down my neck, and others still below my waist. His fingers, which were more like claws, gripped my wrists and held them above my head – there was a ferociousness in his eyes that I'd never witnessed before.

My body was banging roughly against the wall of the Sklavenheim, showing how much raw power Neid was exerting. I felt terrible, more terrible than any other time, even the first, that my commanding officer had done this to me.

And that was when I felt his fingers snaking up into my rear. Like nimble spiders, they danced around, making sure to pluck every spot that gave me even the slightest twinge of guilty pleasure; and I didn't like the experience at all, but there were places that Neid could find that would make me gasp. I hated those areas with a passion – they gave off the illusion that I _enjoyed _it.

Ich würde es nie genießen.

Leaning into my ear, he whispered, "This'll teach you to disobey me." In a flash, his fingers were out, my crack was parted, and Neid was shoving himself into me. The animalistic gaze slowly wore off, replaced with one of utmost pleasure. But that didn't make his attacks any less fierce. In fact, with every time that he started to retreat, only to go in again, it felt like he was going further and further, with more and more force. As much as I tried to block everything out, as hard as I bit my lip to keep from screaming, nothing helped. He was stroking my traitorous manhood, enticing it to do what he wanted.

But I couldn't…I couldn't…I had to hold out just a bit longer…

I failed. With a loud cry, I came, spraying a white substance all over Neid's chest. And as he began to laugh maniacally, Neid came inside of me, filling my rear with his seed. Still, though, he refused to stop; he kept going, shoving himself into me again and again and again. My strength was sapped from the effort it took to release, and I was powerless to do anything, even voice my displeasure.

When he thrust into me again, and I came onto his chest for a second time, the world started to dissipate. Colors started blending together, and before I knew it, the entire world was black with flashes of greens and reds and yellows and blues, among other bright, vivid colors.

* * *

When I threw up and finally came to, Neid was gone. I was on the floor, lying on my side, a throbbing pain shooting up through my entire body. Even when I tried to move, the pain was so great that I slumped back.

After a few minutes of heavy breathing, I raised my head and saw a note attached to my… Neid was, without a doubt, the most disgusting creature I'd ever known. Willing against the hurt that flowed through me, my arm reached out, untied the piece of paper, and brought it back to me eyes. His writing was a bit scrawled; he must've written it quickly after our session was done.

_Edward,_

_I don't think I've ever felt so alive in my entire life. You're really a lifesaver, and the greatest pet I've ever had. My little kitten, you're so good, I'm giving you a big promotion: you're going to be the 2__nd__ in command of the 14__th__ Infantry. How does that sound? I'll see you tomorrow, when we're going on a wonderful excursion._

_Yours,  
__Neid_

I had to read the note twice to truly get the impact of what it said. I was going to be the 2nd in command of the entire squad…? It didn't seem fair, since there were many others who'd been there so much longer than myself. Still, it wasn't like I was going to turn it down; not like I had a choice in the matter, anyway.

"Ed…?"

My eyes stretched all they could, and a friendly face finally came into view: Zorn. His eyes were full of tears. "Ed, I'm so sorry…"

But I didn't want him to say he was sorry; I didn't want him to take the blame. Zorn deserved so much better… He deserved a life where he could get whatever he wanted. And this life wasn't the place to get it. I felt awful knowing that not only my existence, but his as well, was bound to that of Neid. And from what I could tell, Neid wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Nothing was turning out the way it should've… Ignoring the immense pain, I reached up and clawed at the boy's shirt, burying myself into his chest and sobbing.

* * *

Alles erschien gerade wie, wie ich es verließ - Everything appeared just like how I left it

Was konnte ich anders tun als Schrei? - What could I do other than scream?

fast wie jemand hatte ihren Fuß davor gestellt - almost like someone had put their foot in front of it

Ich konnte nicht genau erzählen, als ich aufwachte - I could not tell exactly when I awoke

Scheiße - Shit

Wie würde ich jemals im Stande sein, gegen ihn zu stehen? - How would I ever be able to stand against him?

es sollte kein Herausfordern ihm geben - there was to be no defying him

Ich würde es nie genießen - I would never enjoy it


	13. To Freiburg

Sleepiness came, and sleepiness went. After leaving puddles on Zorn's sleeves, I was overcome with weariness, nervousness, and anxiety. 2nd in command of 14th Infantry…? In all honesty, it was quite a lot to swallow – perhaps too much to swallow. There was no doubt in my mind Neid's thinking had been rash and uncoordinated in his usual ecstasy after… My head shook from side to side. There was _no _way I was thinking about that this early in the morning…

Unfortunately, I had to have it float around my mind this early, because the 14th Infantry was heading out on a mission. Neid had said as much on his note to me, and though I should've been ready to expect anything, I couldn't consider so many possibilities. My head had been rattled by the execution of Nina and Alphonse, so much so that fear was seeping into me.

Why…? Why did anywhere I go have to end up reeking of the smell of death…?

"Es ist, was wir sind," Zorn replied when I posed the question to him. We didn't even look at each other as we talked – slipping out of our Sklavenheim clothing and into our military apparel required us looking and concentrating on our bodies. "Ed, as much as we _aren't_, we still _are_ in this army. We're the harbingers of death, so it makes sense that wherever we go gets soaked in blood. As much as we hate it, I'm beginning to think we're alone in our loathing…" And my entire being was so thankful Lyra wasn't there to hear Zorn's mutinous comment – she'd been pulled out of the Sklavenheim earlier by Neid, most likely for one of his sick sessions.

"How can no one see what's being done?" I asked, a bit bewildered. "Has everyone gone insane, and we're the only sane ones left…?"

"Everybody's a bit insane," Zorn told me. "There was a time when I looked up to Neid; there was a time you thought being in this army was like being a liberator. We just pulled the shade up."

I had to concede that point to him. It felt like an eternity ago when I first enlisted, and back then, I thought I was going to be doing a service. Only I thought it was going to be a noble service.

I was still performing a service.

Ein Dienst des Todes.

* * *

The entirety of 14th Infantry was gathered there in one of the meeting halls, standing in perfect attention and watching on with eyes that bordered on indoctrinated at their commander, their emperor, their God – Neid didn't have to wear the sun God outfit in order to have all the soldiers become marionettes stringed to his lithe fingers. They would lay themselves in the line of fire for him without a second thought; if he pointed out to a target, they would shoot; if he told them to eat each other, then, by God, they would feast. It was as if Neid had truly brainwashed them, and Zorn and I had only recently awoke from the stupor it induced. Neid was dangerous; if there really was a Devil, he was the closest thing to it anyone would ever get to on Earth.

Und ich musste neben ihm stehen. I had to will my shoulders not to shake, or else they most certainly would. Saying I was uncomfortable would be an enormous understatement – I was scared out of my mind. At any moment, Neid could snap, and I would be closest to him, or, in other words, the person he'd take his wrath out upon. Also, a queasy feeling was running through me because of the soldiers I looked at. If they weren't so busy directing their attention at their leader, then I guaranteed they'd be glaring at me. After all, I'd stolen so many promotions, and cut off quite a few people in order to become 2nd in command. And it was a position I didn't even want.

Keeping my mind on holding my body back from shaking, I strained my ears to listen to what Neid was saying.

"The Fuhrer has given us a most important mission." His voice, though calm and collected, was booming. Its volume was enough to reverberate around the room and its assembly, bouncing back to me so that I had to hear it three, four times for each sentence. "But, my brave mates, it doesn't involve shooting."

The thought of not shooting caused immediate dissent to ripple through the crowd of trigger happy soldiers. I watched helplessly as arguments popped up from every which way, all of them about them wanting to kill "enemy Stücke". What was I looking at…? Were these people even human…? How could they be so incensed about not being able to kill?

Peering into the crowd, I saw someone who wasn't partaking in the loud hum of disappointment – Zorn. He was standing where he had been the whole time, in ready position, his eyes fixed upon the ground at Neid's feet. I couldn't place the emotion in those eyes. After a minute, I gave up; perhaps there wasn't any feeling in Zorn's eyes at all. Perhaps he was covering them up. Whatever it was, he was doing a good job of not getting on Neid's nerves.

Unfortunately, the other troops weren't being so careful. Neid growled, then barked. "Schweigen!" Immediately, everyone stopped talking and turned to him, standing at the ready. There wasn't a rustle in the crowd. Neid relaxed a bit; just a bit. "That's better." He shook his head and ran a few fingers through his hair underneath his officer's cap before continuing. "We're going on a rather routine mission to Freiburg. Our commands are simply – do a check of the place, and make sure it is loyal to the Fuhrer. When we're done, I'll report back in, and we'll take things from there."

By the look in his eyes, I was certain that there was something Neid wasn't letting on about. That gleam in his purple eyes said it all – he knew something we didn't, and he was relishing in the fact that he did. Withholding information from us probably made him feel even more like God.

"I want to see all of you outside and ready to go in half an hour," Neid commanded. "Until then, you're all dismissed." Even as he was saying this, he was jumping down from the platform he spoke on, striding into the crowd of people moving towards the doors. With a swipe of his talons, he grabbed Zorn by the forearm and drug him back over to where I was standing, not sure of whether I should've gone or not. Neid took Zorn over to the platform, pushed him up onto it, and hopped up himself. Bringing the two of us together, he whispered into our ears.

"Lyra's coming along with us," he said, making sure that we were both attentive. He didn't go on until both Zorn and I nodded. "On something that's going to be this long-term, I'm not going to leave her alone here. Too much trouble, too much risk."

I gave a silent gasp as Zorn talked back to Neid. "Yeah, and how are you going to convince her commander to let her go with you?"

Neid chuckled darkly in response. His arm jerked, and both Zorn's and my eyes floated down to his hand, which was resting upon his pistol. That sick feeling in my stomach arose once again as I stared at the gun. "Her commander was very…open to persuasion," Neid assured us. "Isn't it silly how quickly some people change their minds when staring down the barrel of their death…?" He laughed louder now. "Poor, poor Basque." His eyes held no remorse as he faked lamentation. "They can search for a hundred years, and they'll never find your body…"

My gut felt like exploding. Had…had Neid just killed an infantry commander in order to preserve the Sklavenheim…? Das war…das war absolut Nüsse. Forget Neid being a maniac; he was a psychopath, and I could barely believe that I was just inches from him. My heart was throwing itself against my chest, and I could clearly hear each and every frantic beat of it. I closed my eyes and wished that everything would just go away…

When I reopened my eyes, I saw a set of purple eyes staring back at me. Neid's face was mere centimeters from my own. My heart gave a yelp and came close to stopping. There was a malicious look in Neid, something I couldn't place; just because I couldn't figure it out, though, didn't mean I wasn't wholly frightened of it.

Neid leaned forward and chastely let his lips brush against my own. It was a movement that sent chills up my spine. Pulling back, my commanding officer said, "Everyone _does _include you and Zorn." He patted my back, a gesture that said get going. Zorn and I took the hint and sprinted away from Neid.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

* * *

We walked. We'd been walking for hours and miles, taking perhaps one short break along the way.

I had my Karabiner rifle in my left hand, and was walking in the fashion of everyone in the army. Of course, Neid paid no attention to rules; he merely strode along at a comfortable pace, hands behind his back, looking back every so often to make sure _we_ weren't breaking the rules. Wie nett von ihm…

The sun was beating down upon us for the past few hours, making my sweat pores explode. My uniform, the twisting mixture of ebony and satin black sticking to me; the small threads that hung out of the swastika sewn into the left sleeve of my uniform tickled and poked at my skin in the most annoying way possible. However, I could do nothing about either of these things. Even though I _was _a second-in-command, to do anything while walking besides walking was a surefire way to be punished. And this wasn't anywhere near his peers – Neid would be rougher, eviler; he could take me into a woods and do unspeakable things, and let me scream as loud as I could.

A shudder ran through my body as these thoughts crossed my mind, but I did as much as I could to subdue it. I couldn't give any sign of fright to my sadistic commander, lest I speed up what was still (as far as I knew) a good week or so off. Quickly, I let my eyes wander around, to think of something, anything, to get my mind off of that subject.

What of the mission we were going on? As far as I knew (and that was what Neid had told me and the other soldiers) it was going to be a simple checkup run. Nothing out of the ordinary. This town was practically off the radar, so what use did it have to the Fuhrer? Either they were too afraid to stand up to the German government and its military, or they were the other end of the spectrum – sick with loyalty to the Fuhrer. Maybe he wanted to do a check and make sure none of that loyalty had dwindled…

Whatever the reason, we were going, and nothing could stop that. It was…part of the reason I was beginning to feel afraid.

It was like walking into a trap with no way out.

* * *

A few hours later, we arrived at Freiburg. As soon as I laid eyes on it, one thought popped into my head.

_Bored._

Bored out of my _mind_. The village was so unrelentingly bleak that it seemed to bleed gray. There was a multitude of clouds in the sky, blocking out the sunlight that everyone had been so accustomed to on our trip. So a light darkness washed over everything as far as we could see.

Huts were here, and huts were there. Sometimes we'd see a small bit of actual architecture, some metalwork that popped out for a brief instant before melting into the blandness of Freiburg. Etwas anderes war Feld. The village appeared to be a gigantic field that was growing, instead of grass, small houses. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Cautiously, I stole a glance back at Zorn. I could see hair standing up on the back of his neck, the parts that were exposed because he was made to put his hair up. The look in his eyes said it all – he was absolutely revolted. And I couldn't blame him. Turning back, I wished I was anywhere else at the moment.

…Well, I would probably (definitely) take Freiburg over Neid's office or the Sklavenheim any day. But other than those two Godforsaken places, nowhere else could be as bad. To put things in a bit of perspective, I would prefer _drowning_ over the pitiful village.

Neid took a few strides ahead, leaning his head upwards to the sky and taking in a deep breath of air. When he turned around, I could see that even _he _was faking his smile. "Look at this…!" he exclaimed through a sigh, his voice horribly fake. "Doesn't it make you want to…to…"

"Puke…?" I heard someone behind me whisper. Whoever he was talking to gave a short laugh before acting like nothing had happened.

"Well, this is where we were headed," Neid continued with a cough. He had dropped all his "enthusiasm," and was showing just how sour he felt. His eyes were half-closed and dull, and his lips were curled into a frown. "Our job is a relatively simple one – Einschätzung. We are going to _evaluate _this village – nowhere in that word do I see the words 'shoot' or 'murder'. Do I make myself clear?"

Once again, dissatisfied grumbles flowed through the crowd of soldiers. But as Neid held up a gloved hand, everyone shut their mouths. He stared at us for a minute, as though daring someone to speak up, before he went on. "So talk to people – get _opinions_, then report them to me. I – no, the Fuhrer – wants to know what these villagers think. It is very vital to what he has planned." What did the Fuhrer have planned…? I had no idea, but I had been right: Neid was hiding something. "If I don't get the truth, heads _are _going to roll." Once again, his eyes scanned us. "So get to work."

He disappeared to the right, behind a hut, as the soldiers milled around for a moment. Finally, we all began to move around. Zorn immediately caught up to me.

"What do we do?"

"Well, I…I guess we go talk to people." But this, by no means, was going to be easy. As Zorn and I went up to a hut, we saw people inside. A father, mother, and two little girls… A lump built up in my throat. It was like looking back into the past, to Abraham and Carmela. I froze right there, and when I batted an eye downwards, I saw that Zorn wasn't moving, either.

When the mother noticed us outside, she got up a bit abruptly. Moving over to the hut's one window that faced Zorn and I, she pulled a cloth over the opening. They were hidden from our view.

…No, this was not going to be easy at all…

* * *

"Es ist, was wir sind" - "It's what we are"

Ein Dienst des Todes - A service of death

Und ich musste neben ihm stehen - And I had to stand next to him

"Schweigen!" - "Silence!"

Das war…das war absolut Nüsse - This was…this was absolutely nuts

Wie nett von ihm… - How nice of him…

Etwas anderes war Feld - Everything else was field

Einschätzung - evaluation


End file.
